Interim superintendent details school consolidation timeline, strategic plan and community outreach

Interim Superintendent Terry Romo told the Sierra Vista Unified District governing board at a work session that school consolidation and a three‑year strategic plan are among the district’s top priorities and described a timeline for community engagement that includes a town‑hall meeting before any vote.

Romo summarized work completed during the first 60–90 day phase of her entry plan — she said the district is on “day 77” of that plan — and reported results from listening tours with staff, principals and community members, including a parent survey of about 400 respondents. She said district leaders identified core priorities as student achievement, community engagement and fiscal responsibility, and that the district will present a strategic plan with measures and quarterly reporting to the board.

“Class size policies will remain in effect,” Romo said in a short video she shared with the board, adding that the district will “keep students with their teachers and familiar staff whenever possible.” She also said, “I will make the recommendation, here that no vote will be happening at that meeting. And that, there will be a town hall meeting, that is held 10 days prior to any votes.” Board members and staff agreed that a town‑hall date should be scheduled on Oct. 3.

Romo described several operational actions taken since she began as interim superintendent: weekly audit update meetings that produced 26 implemented audit items with four still in progress; a closure of an Office for Civil Rights complaint in the special education department; a switch to a new assessment system to replace Galileo; and ongoing maintenance walk‑throughs with the district maintenance director. She said staff are monitoring anticipated Title I and Title II funding notices expected Oct. 1 and are being “very conservative” in spending while awaiting that official guidance.

On school operations and culture, Romo said she has begun ‘‘Terry’s Tuesday’’ campus visits, is conducting listening tours at every school (including student meetings at JCMS and Buena), and will meet with community partners. She described efforts to improve communications — a district newsletter, a weekly superintendent memo to principals and department leads, and a consolidation information hub on the district website where survey results and anonymized community responses are posted.

Board members praised the outreach and campus visits. An unnamed governing board member said they were “very impressed” by classroom interactions and by the positive reception from school staff during recent visits. Romo said she will continue after‑action reviews of incidents — including a recent safety incident at Joyce Clark Middle School — to identify communication improvements and confirmed the district contacted police and followed safety procedures in that case.

Romo described retention and recruitment as ongoing challenges, citing pay and rural hiring difficulties. She highlighted professional growth and advanced opportunities for staff — including support for national board certification — as part of efforts to strengthen instruction and retain personnel.

The board took no substantive votes on consolidation or the strategic plan during the session. The work session adopted the meeting agenda and later adjourned by voice votes recorded as 4–0 for each procedural motion.

Romo said she will compile and share listening‑tour results and will bring a recommendation to the board after the scheduled town‑hall and the required public engagement steps.

Less critical details: Romo said front‑office customer‑service training is planned (she referenced Oct. 3 for a training day), the district has started a weekly newsletter and Monday memo for principals, and the website now hosts a consolidation hub with anonymized survey responses for families.