Board plans study sessions on strategic plan and superintendent search; staff to advise on contract language

Trustees at a Jan. 11 special meeting discussed timing for study sessions tied to the incoming superintendent and the district’s strategic and facilities plans. The board asked staff to bring forward options for study-session timing and requested legal guidance on superintendent contract language.

Several trustees said they want a focused review of the district’s six-year strategic plan and its relationship to the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) before major decisions are made. Trustees discussed whether a strategic-plan study session should wait for a newly hired superintendent or be held in spring so trustees have a common factual baseline before entering superintendent interviews.

Trustees and legal-advice attendees discussed superintendent-contract mechanics and recommended that the board consider appointing a trustee to work with the search firm and district counsel on contract safeguards and language. A guest speaker, Russ (introduced by the board), recommended using model language such as the CSBA sample superintendent contract as a starting point and suggested the board appoint a liaison to engage with the search firm and attorney when drafting detailed contract provisions.

Board members discussed aligning study sessions on the Google lease, bond (Measure G) priorities and the facilities master plan so trustees can see how revenue and capital investments intersect with strategic priorities; several trustees identified May as a possible month for a strategic-plan workshop once the search process has advanced.

Ending: Trustees asked staff to propose dates for study sessions, to circulate the governance calendar and to provide copies of CSBA model contract language and other reference materials. The board plans additional special meetings tied to the superintendent search and to committee updates in the months ahead.