Friday, February 8, 2013

Supplemental Materials for the Feb 11, 2013 Board Meeting

Here are the supplemental materials for the School Board meeting to be held at 7pm on Monday, Feb 11, 2013 at the Central Office Annex.

To this set of documents I've added a copy of a letter from Standard & Poors, notifying us of their rating of the bonds we'll be selling in a few days. They kept our rating at "AA" which means S&P is telling bond investors that we're a safe bet to pay back the principal with interest, as promised. This should cause our bonds to be priced at a very good rate, allowing us to retire other bonds on which we're paying a higher rate, saving all of us taxpayers a fair amount of money.

Well done to Treasurer Brian Wilson for detecting the opportunity, initiating this process, and seeing it through. He could have easily sat on his hands, and I doubt anyone would have known any difference (sounds like a good job for the Audit & Accountability Committee - to make sure we don't miss such opportunities).

Since the meeting is being held in the Annex rather than one of the school buildings, and the agenda is pretty routine, I expect that the public part of the meeting won't last long, and we'll be going quickly into executive session. The selection of our next Superintendent is of course the primary task at hand.

Other than our two internal candidates, Dave Stewart and Steve Estepp, I've not met any of the candidates that were just announced. On the advice of Dr. Bill Reimer from the ESC, who is managing our search and selection process, the Board gave authority to President Andy Teater and Vice-President Lisa Whiting to whittle the substantial list of applicants we received down to a small number who we will interview in depth.

That process begins next week.

4 comments:

  1. I agree on your comments about Mr. Wilson. I have always found him easy to talk and work with. I hope our next super will have some of his business savy.

    It is a great concern that 2 of the four picked the 4 they did. A district as large as ours is no place for a first time super to get his learners permit. We need a proven leader with true leadership experience, not the sheltered workshop provided in Hilliard. Should an insider get the job and the gang of 4 we are heading for the cliff, HOLD ON FOR YOUR LIFE!!!

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  2. We are a mature organization whose operations are strictly prescribed by statute and our spending is contractualized.

    Although I know nothing of the candidates, I see this a great opportunity for administrative attrition. Promote someone to superintendent and leave their position unfilled....

    Any change you want to see in the district will have to start with the Board.

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    1. I had to smile reading this. In theory it's great. But this is the real world.

      You are asking someone who is part of the current administration, that has shown little interest in implementing any serious cuts, especially to their own little fiefdom, to not promote one of their colleagues into the position they themselves are leaving?

      What if David Stewart were the best candidate -- he's currently Bradley Principal; no way that position gets left unfilled.

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    2. Could not echo the sentiments above enough - this district is not for first-time supers. Hire someone with superintendent experience and stay away from the rookies!!!

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