Board approves senior director job descriptions, delays decision on external recruiter for facilities post

The Chula Vista Elementary School District Board approved several revised job descriptions including a reclassification that replaces a chief operating officer title with a senior director of facilities, maintenance and operations. Trustees expressed interest in retaining institutional knowledge and questioned whether the district could recruit internally before contracting with an external search firm.

Staff said the reclassification is intended to reduce costs while preserving capacity to manage multi‑school modernization projects and planned new school openings. The job description was revised to allow a mix of external candidates with construction and engineering experience and internal candidates with district experience and certifications. Trustees urged clear language around required certifications and agreed the district should retain flexibility to consider nontraditional candidates with relevant experience.

Board debate focused on whether to spend up to about $50,000 to hire a professional recruiting firm to widen the candidate pool for the critical facilities role. One trustee recommended postponing purchase of recruitment services and relying initially on in‑district staff and an interim who currently performs the duties; another trustee said an outside firm could attract a broader, qualified pool of candidates for a specialized role. After discussion the board moved the external recruitment item to a future meeting to allow staff to provide more cost comparisons and a tighter scope of work. Several other job descriptions and position replacements on the consent calendar were approved without change.

Trustees also discussed an updated buyer/warehouse assistant classification and other personnel items on the consent calendar; those positions were approved as replacements in the district staffing plan.

Staff will return with a revised recruitment scope and vendor estimates before the board acts on retaining an outside search firm.