Board names state monitor, appoints assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services and other staffing moves
Summary
Trustees voted to appoint Dr. Kimberly Young Wilkins as state monitor, authorized an employment agreement for Lawan (Laquan) White as assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services, and appointed an impartial hearing officer; the monitor said she will hold three public hearings as part of her work.
The Mount Vernon Board of Trustees on July 15 approved a slate of governance appointments, including a state monitor and a new assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services. By recorded motion, trustees authorized appointment of Dr. Kimberly Young Wilkins as state monitor for the district. Dr. Young Wilkins addressed the board and community after her appointment and said she will hold three public hearings required by state oversight: one on the monitor role and law, one addressing academic sustainability and one focused on fiscal matters. ‘‘I’m honored to have this position... the first thing I have to do... I have to have 3 open public hearings,’’ she said. The board also authorized an employment agreement with Lawan White (listed on the agenda) as assistant superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services; White introduced herself and thanked the board and community, committing to advocate for students and families. Trustees additionally appointed an impartial hearing officer for an identified special‑education case. How these actions fit together: The state monitor appointment begins a period of required outreach and reporting; the monitor’s public hearings are to be scheduled within the timelines she outlined. The assistant superintendent appointment is an internal personnel action to fill a senior student‑services role; the impartial hearing officer appointment addresses an outstanding due‑process matter. Discussion vs. action: Each of the items was taken as separate agenda motions and carried: the monitor appointment (9.1), the impartial hearing officer appointment (9.2), and the employment agreement for the assistant superintendent (9.3). Trustees recorded formal votes for the appointments and invited the new appointees to speak briefly to the board and public. Ending: The monitor and new assistant superintendent will participate in upcoming board work sessions and public meetings while the district schedules the required monitor hearings and completes onboarding and next steps for pupil personnel oversight.
