Liberty Elementary board votes to hold in-person candidate screening after vendor refuses to share resumes electronically

The Liberty Elementary Governing Board voted 4-1 on June 27 to require an in-person candidate screening meeting on Monday, June 30, after the search vendor, the Arizona Superintendents Association (ASA), declined to provide applicants' resumes electronically.

Board President Michael Todd said ASA’s policy left the board with three options: hold the meeting without distributing electronic copies, postpone the screening (which would delay hiring), or replace the vendor and restart the search. “There’s no problem with that,” Todd said of changing vendors, but advised it would likely be costly and time-consuming.

The vote affirmed a motion by Vice President Chris Kenyon, seconded by Board Member Brian Cerencioni, that Monday’s screening be in person and that Wednesday’s finalist interviews continue as planned with a virtual option. The motion passed with Schmidt, Kenyon, Cerencioni and President Todd voting aye and Board Member Zimmerman voting nay. The board recorded the outcome as 4 yes, 1 no.

The motion responds to ASA’s stated concern that distributing candidate files electronically could lead to leaks and discourage highly qualified applicants. Susan Siegel, legal counsel to the board, said ASA has declined to release resumes electronically but advised alternatives. “If the confidentiality of the resumes and the names of the applicants is important . . . one option would be to read to you the names and the qualifications,” Siegel said. She added that remote participation is permitted by legal opinion but not a guaranteed right for board members.

Board members debated whether reading applicants’ materials out loud in executive session would be workable. Board Member Schmidt, who was remote, said reading all materials would be “cumbersome” and that packets can include supporting documents beyond a one-page resume. Zimmerman, who opposed the motion, objected to limiting access to information and said she wanted to participate fully despite summer travel plans. “I cannot change medical appointments and second opinions and things and flights and things that I’ve already paid for,” Zimmerman said, asking the board to find a way for her meaningful participation.

ASA initially reported 13 applicants; after follow-up the vendor confirmed 14 applicants as of the board’s later reconvening. Board members noted they did not know the size of each candidate packet and raised concerns that reading only highlights could omit information one member deems relevant. Kenyon said he wanted “all the information the candidate’s willing to provide,” and warned against having a single person decide what is “relevant.”

Board staff outlined the near-term schedule the board approved: candidate screening June 30, finalist interviews and selection of finalists July 2, and the regular governing board meeting July 14. Board members said they may adjust start times on July 14 because multiple executive sessions are possible.

The board discussed but rejected immediate vendor replacement because most of the search work is already complete and restarting could delay hiring. Legal counsel said she would contact ASA to confirm whether reading materials aloud would satisfy the vendor’s confidentiality concerns and report back.

The vote is a procedural decision about how to conduct the screening and does not itself appoint an interim superintendent. The board recorded that Monday’s meeting will be in person and Wednesday’s interviews will continue with the planned remote option; details about what candidate materials will be read aloud, if any, were not finalized in the meeting.