coen Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Proceedings of the Ad Hoc Sub-Committee for Superintendent Search School District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana December 1, 2009 CALL TO ORDER Trustee Chair Joel Guthals called the meeting to order at 12:10 p.m. on Monday, December 1, 2009 in Room 219 of the Lincoln Center. Committee members in attendance were Trustees Joel Guthals, Mary Jo Fox, Barbara Bryan, Teresa Stroebe (alternate). Also in attendance were Trustee Peter Gesuale, Dan Martin, Executive Director Human Resource, Jeffrey Greenfield, BEA President, and District Clerk Leo Hudetz. Bob Vogel, Montana School Boards Association’s representative via phone. COMMUNICATION FROM THE PUBLIC The Board recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of listening to members of the public in its meetings. The Board also recognizes the statutory and constitutional right of the public to participate in governmental operations. The Board encourages members of the public to participate in and express opinions about issues important to the District. This part of the Board’s meeting is dedicated to public comment on any public matter that is not on the agenda of this meeting and is within the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees. Members of the public may also address particular items on this agenda either now or at the time the Board considers the particular item. There was no communication from the public. LOGISTICS AND SCHEDULING OF SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH Joel Guthals explained that he was appointed acting Chair of the Superintendent Search Committee. Joel Guthals said due to scheduling conflicts in February he may not be able to attend most of the meetings. Joel Guthals asked Committee members if they would like to appoint another Chair for the Committee. Mary Jo Fox made the following motion with a second by Teresa Stroebe: Motion to keep Joel Guthals as Chair with Mary Jo Fox as acting Chair when Joel can not attend. Those voting in favor were Teresa Stroebe, Mary Jo Fox, Barbara Bryan, Peter Gesuale, and Joel Guthals. The motion passed unanimously. Joel Guthals stated the District has contracted with the Montana School Boards Association to assist with the superintendent search and application process. Joel Guthals said he spoke with Bob Vogel, the Montana School Boards Association’s government representative, to work out the logistics for the superintendent hiring process. Joel Guthals noted Bob Vogel will be the point person to assist the Board in the search and application process. Joel Guthals contacted Bob Vogel to research comparative salary range and benefit packages for the superintendent position. Joel Guthals noted the reports are available to the Committee as amendments. Bob Vogel said a draft announcement and advertisement for a national search will be created for the superintendent position. Bob Vogel noted the announcement and advertisement will be placed in several media outlets such as the Billings Gazette, School District web-site, Montana School Boards Association Administration and National job sites, and media outlets as well as in Education Trade publications. Bob Vogel announced a report will be prepared for the Board on applicants after review, criminal background screens, etc. for the Board to rank. Committee members and Bob Vogel discussed techniques the Board can use to narrow the applicant list for its top three to five choices. It was suggested this process be done at a closed executive, school Board session before the finalists are announced to the public due to the applicants’ privacy issues. After the applicants are chosen they will be invited to Billings to meet members of the community and interview with the Board. Dan Martin suggested evaluating the applicants’ answers to the questions to get the applicants the District wants. Dan Martin noted evaluating the candidates for quality and content not necessarily on the basis of presentation. Dan Martin will outline the key points that the Board would want to see in an answer. Jeff Greenfield addressed the Committee members with the following suggestions, questions, and comments: Jeff Greenfield agreed to attract quality candidates the District should offer a top salary and benefits. Jeff Greenfield agreed with the consensus of the Committee that Jack Copps has saved the District considerable money by being able to work with all groups associated with the District and his ability to make issues not bigger issues is invaluable. Jeff Greenfield said Jack Copps has created an environment where all stakeholders have input and would like to see this maintained. Jeff Greenfield suggested staff, teachers, all stake holders to the District interests be added to the questions asked of the candidates not just school Board and administration. Jeff Greenfield noted there are opened ended questions that could reflect “staff” as part of the solution. Jeff Greenfield suggested all employee groups have the opportunity to see the candidates’ applications, answers to questions, and express to the Board their top candidates. Joel Guthals suggested there will be a time for public input at the school Board interview meeting and at the Board final selection meetings. Joel Guthals feels this process will allow opportunity for all stake holders to have an opportunity for comments and recommendations. Barbara Bryan questioned what we want to tell the applicants about us. Barbara Bryan wants the candidates to understand the challenges the district faces with the considerable back log of deferred maintenance and facility issues without discouraging candidates. Bob Vogel suggested those concerns can be done in the supplemental questions stating questions with regard to fund raising, experience in bond issues, etc. to address those issues . There was a consensus for Bob Vogal and Nancy Hines to create a brochure to tell candidates about our community and school District. Bob Vogel suggested working with the Chamber of Comererce for additional input to sites and links candidates can go to for information. The public survey, to be conducted by Montana Schools Boards Association will be shared with the candidates so they can get a sense of the challenge and the survey can be a helpful tool for the candidates before they come for an interview. Bob Vogel suggested a time table be set prior to candidate interviews. Joel Guthals suggested advertising for the superintendent position early this month. Joel Guthals recommended the application process close January 31, 2010. Joel Guthals and Bob Vogel suggested a tentative time table as follows. Candidate applications come in by January 31, 2010 and within a week to ten days the Montana School Boards Association will have gone through the applications and a report will be given to the school Board. Bob Vogel suggested Board members look at their schedules the week of Feb 8th for the screening process. The Board will come together for at least a three to four hour time period to go through applications and select finalists. Expect a week to ten days following the screening to set up interview dates. The week of February 22 and 23, 2010 are tentative schedule interview dates. Possibly at the end of the final interview the Board may be ready to make a decision. Dan Martin stated the District previously has attracted as few as three candidates, but with an early timeline and higher salary the District has a better chance of attracting more candidates. Dan Martin prefers someone be hired by March 1 to 15, 2010. Joel Guthals suggested the strategic planning and the focus group for the superintendent search be a separate discrete process. There was a consensus to keep the strategic planning and the focus groups for the superintendent separate and let it be known to the public. DETERMINATION OF SALARY RANGE FOR SUPERINTENDENT Bob Vogel’s report suggested a range between $140,000 and $150,000. Mary Jo Fox suggested a salary range between $140,000 and $165,000 as other smaller Double AA schools average $132,000. The benefit package that goes along with the superintendent salary contract was briefly discussed. The consensus by the Committee was to address the benefit package at a later time depending on which candidate is chosen, salary offered, and the candidate’s set of circumstances. Mary Jo Fox made the following motion with a second by Teresa Stroebe: Motion to appoint Dan Martin the administrative liaison to the Superintendent Search Committee and the Board. Those voting in favor were Teresa Stroebe, Mary Jo Fox, Barbara Bryan, and Joel Guthals. The motion passed unanimously. Mary Jo Fox made the following motion with a second by Joel Guthals: Motion to recommend to the Board to set the salary range between $140,000 to $165,000 and benefit package. Discussion was held about salary range due to the District’s budget crunch. The salary can be changed a the Board level. Those voting in favor were Teresa Stroebe, Mary Jo Fox, Barbara Bryan, and Joel Guthals. The motion passed unanimously. Mary Jo Fox made the following motion with a second by Barbara Bryan: Motion to recommend to the Board that Bob Vogel is designated as the lead person for the Montana School Boards Association, Superintendent Search Committee, and the Board. Those voting in favor were Teresa Stroebe, Mary Jo Fox, Barbara Bryan, and Joel Guthals. The motion passed unanimously. Mary Jo Fox made the following motion with a second by Teresa Stroebe: Motion to recommend the approval of the process and time table laid out. Those voting in favor were Teresa Stroebe, Mary Jo Fox, Barbara Bryan, and Joel Guthals. The motion passed unanimously. Joel Guthals announced a date will be set to finalize the candidate applications and supplemental questions in the very near future. Jeff Greenfield and the public will be notified when the date is set. Adjournment There being no further business Joel Guthals adjourned the meeting at 1:50 p.m. Joel Guthals, Chair Brenda Cross, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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