Atascadero trustees pull superintendent contract from agenda, say search will continue

The Atascadero Unified School District Board of Trustees on March 18 removed an agenda item that would have approved a superintendent employment agreement and said the board will continue the search for the district's next superintendent.

Acting President McKeown told the room the board had taken "a significant amount of public input from the community" and that "the board took no action" in closed session. McKeown said she would "make a motion to pull the agenda item related to approving the superintendent's contract from the agenda" and later moved to approve the amended agenda with that item removed.

The board moved quickly to adopt the revised agenda on a roll-call vote in which every trustee present voted yes. Trustees voting aloud in the roll call included Mr. Arnold; Mrs. Ellis White; Mrs. Kosnick; Mrs. Coonley; Mrs. McGrew Keane; Mrs. Pierce; and Mrs. Taylor.

Why it matters: the board's action came after several days of public comment and internal concern about the district's selection process. Multiple teachers, parents and staff told the trustees the search process and a short-lived offer had caused anxiety among employees and families. Spanish teacher Tiffany Banks said the district had already spent about $25,000 on the search and called for more transparency about how the search and any contract negotiations are handled.

During public comment, teachers and parents urged trustees to prioritize classroom stability and to factor educator pay and working conditions into future negotiations. Sixth-grade teacher Jahan Mirzai said teachers should not be forced to divide attention between classroom duties and holding the board accountable, adding the board should shield teachers from instability. Parent Jeff Auslin praised the board for reopening the search but said rescinding an offer disrupted lives and wasted resources.

Board members acknowledged receiving many emails and asked the public to continue submitting input. Trustee Rebecca (last name provided in packet as “Mrs. Taylor” in minutes) said she had read constituent emails and asked people to contact trustees directly about site visits and events. Acting President McKeown said the board is committed to a process that will "work towards building trust" and that the district will provide more information on next steps soon.

Ending: The board scheduled its next regular meeting for April 1 at Santa Margarita Elementary School, with closed session at 5 p.m. and open session at 7 p.m. Trustees concluded the March 18 meeting by adjourning to a continuation of the prior closed session.