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Alisal Union board authorizes MCOE-led superintendent search, adopts timeline after parents ask to be included
Summary
The Alisal Union School District Board voted 4-0 to authorize the Monterey County Office of Education to assist with the district's superintendent search and to adopt a draft timeline and minor wording change to the job announcement after several parents urged inclusion in the hiring process.
The Alisal Union School District Board of Trustees voted 4-0 to authorize the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) to assist with the search for a new superintendent and to adopt a tentative search timeline and wording clarification for the job posting.
The board’s action follows public comment from parents and community organizers who asked to be included in the search and selection process for the next superintendent. Speakers at public comment included parents and organizers who urged that community members and parent organizations be part of interviews and listening sessions.
MCOE officials presented a draft timeline and process during the meeting. The timeline, as presented by Lee Butler, chief human resources officer at MCOE, calls for the application announcement (previously disseminated internally Dec. 30), an application deadline of Jan. 15, an online bilingual community survey to run roughly Jan. 15–22, paper screening and initial reference checks in late January, candidate interviews at a special board meeting tentatively scheduled for Feb. 13, contract negotiation through March 30, a public employment action on April 2 and a July 1 start date for the new superintendent. MCOE legal counsel Manuel Martinez also clarified an intended change to the draft job announcement: the advertised education and experience will be described as “desirable,” not strictly required.
Board members said they would rely on MCOE’s process and the community input gathered by the bilingual survey, which the county office said it would make available in English and Spanish and disseminate through district channels and Family Resource Centers.
Why it matters: The superintendent is the district’s chief executive and sets priorities for curriculum, staffing and community engagement. Parents and advocacy groups pressed the board for a formal role in the selection process; the board’s vote formalizes outside administrative support and preserves opportunities for community input documented in the MCOE timeline.
What happened at the meeting: After discussion the board first approved a formal agreement authorizing MCOE to assist in the search, then approved the amended process and timeline. Both items passed on a 4-0 roll-call vote, with one trustee absent. Board members thanked MCOE staff for the timeline and for making the community survey bilingual.
Next steps: MCOE will proceed with the outreach and application steps described in the timeline. District staff and MCOE said they will provide the compiled survey input to the board in closed session before interviews, per the timeline.
Speakers cited: Manuel Martinez (MCOE legal counsel); Lee Butler (MCOE chief human resources officer); Dr. Deneen Gus (identified as participating from MCOE); Superintendent Jim Koenig; public commenters Blanca Miranda, Alma Laredo (Padres Unidos BHC), Lorena Mendoza.
