Atascadero school board to announce new pick for superintendent. How parents can give input
The Atascadero school board plans to announce a new candidate for district superintendent in April, acting board president Denise McGrew-Kane wrote in a statement Thursday.
The search was scheduled to be complete by March — but plans changed after trustees decided not to hire their controversial pick for the job at Tuesday’s board meeting.
Now, trustees will take another month to reconsider their options.
“The board acknowledges that this process has been challenging,” McGrew-Kane wrote. “Despite those challenges, we seek to unite the Atascadero Unified School District and desire to move forward in a collaborative and trusting spirit.”
Board is not launching a new search, trustee says
The search for a new candidate was conducted by executive search firm Leadership Associates, which the board chose partially for its ability to cast a wider net when searching for an eligible hire, trustees said during a Nov. 5 meeting when the firm was approved.
The firm’s search cost about $25,000, according to a presentation during the board’s Oct. 15 meeting.
At the conclusion of the search, the school board announced that E.J. Rossi — the district’s current assistant superintendent of educational services — was the best option for its top administrative position.
But parents and staff soon pushed back, as past allegations that Rossi misappropriated money in the San Ardo Union School District resurfaced.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the board announced it would not move forward with Rossi’s hire after hearing the community’s feedback.
Rossi was one of 25 candidates who applied for the job, according to McGrew-Kane’s announcement. Six applicants were interviewed, and two finalists were chosen. Trustees will now look back to that pool for a new candidate.
“The board wants to ensure the community understands we are not reopening or starting a new search,” she wrote.
The board cannot make the applications public due to privacy concerns, according to the statement. She added that the original search followed “industry standard best practices,” as well as school board policy.
McGrew-Kane also indicated that the district received plenty of feedback during the search process, including survey responses from at least 748 community members.
“The board’s goal at the outset of the search was to find the best possible candidate for the job, and that remains true,” she wrote. “The selection of the superintendent of the Atascadero Unified School District is a serious and important decision, and the board takes its responsibility to make the right choice very seriously. We know how critical this choice is for the community and we know it is important that we get this right.”
McGrew-Kane added that trustees hope to usher in a “smooth transition” between outgoing superintendent Tom Butler, who will retire later this year, and the new selection. She emphasized the Atascadero district’s “close-knit, small-town atmosphere.”
“The board wants to honor the traditions established in Atascadero Unified while also recognizing that new leadership brings new opportunity,” she wrote, “The board hopes to build trust, encourage community and collaboration, and grow from a strong, stable foundation in Atascadero Unified School District.”
McGrew-Kane encouraged the community to continue providing input throughout the coming weeks. She said an update on the search process will be provided at an upcoming meeting.
Want to participate in the selection process?
Parents who want to offer the district their feedback can contact board members at their district emails or phone numbers, which are listed on the board’s website.
The next school board meeting is scheduled for April 1 at 7 p.m at Santa Margarita Elementary School, according to the last board agenda.
Those who want to speak to the board can fill out public comment cards ahead of the meeting.
The meetings can also be watched on the district’s Youtube channel.
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