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Board schedules first-round superintendent interviews Oct. 20–Nov. 3; public commenters urge hiring a strong candidate
Summary
Board chair announced first-round superintendent interviews will take place Oct. 20–Nov. 3. Public speakers urged the board to extend the search timeline if necessary and to hire a superintendent who will prioritize student outcomes over pleasing the board.
Chairwoman Takalajero announced that the board's first-round interviews for the superintendent position will take place between Oct. 20 and Nov. 3.
Speakers during the citizen-comment portion urged the board to prioritize a strong, independent chief executive. Liz Albert, a community member who has attended board meetings for years, recommended the board "hire a strong superintendent, not a yes man or woman," and suggested extending the search timeline if the candidate pool lacked sufficient depth.
Albert and other commenters said the board’s reputation for internal divisiveness can be a deterrent to high-quality candidates and urged the members to respect their own nonnegotiables by avoiding operational interference in day-to-day administration. Several speakers voiced support for Superintendent Dr. Pohl to remain in post during the search; Nicole Stewart publicly expressed support for Dr. Pohl and asked the board to avoid further delay.
The board also moved into closed session earlier in the meeting under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act’s personnel exceptions to discuss candidates and personnel matters; the motion recited the statutory authority for personnel and student-record confidentiality. The chair said the timeline for interviews is firm and asked staff to coordinate logistics with candidates and the board.
