Superintendent Rod Erlwine used his final Sioux City Community School District board meeting on June 23 to thank staff and reflect on his tenure, and the board discussed steps to set priorities and an evaluation process for the incoming superintendent.

Erlwine read a short statement to the board saying he felt “grateful and, to be honest, just a little bit relieved” not to be facing another 300‑page agenda packet, and that his goal had been “to leave this district better than I found it.”

The board’s discussion afterward centered on establishing a transparent evaluation and goal‑setting process for the incoming superintendent, Dr. Juan Cordova. President Jan George told board members materials from the Iowa Association of School Boards are available and recommended a public work session on July 21 to frame goals, timelines and accountability. "This is what we're hoping for," George said of using association materials to guide evaluation steps.

Board members debated the number and scope of goals. Director Remo recalled past guidance to limit goal counts and suggested five or six primary goals at most; President George said the Iowa standards for school leaders (10 standards) represent a minimum set of expectations but are not equivalent to 10 separate goals. The board discussed aligning any district priorities with measurable, sustainable outcomes and adding an explicit financial priority now that federal COVID‑related funding has ended.

The board agreed to provide Dr. Cordova access to the evaluation materials and to schedule the work session so board members and the public can observe development of the superintendent’s goals. President George and another board member said they would meet with Cordova to walk through evaluation procedures and timelines.

No formal vote was taken on specific goals at the June 23 meeting; the board directed staff and leadership to continue the onboarding and evaluation preparations and to convene the proposed public work session in July.

The superintendent transition discussion followed Erlwine’s remarks thanking district leaders, and concluded before the board moved on to consent and operational items.