Azusa Unified board lays out superintendent search timeline; applications due April 6
Loading...
Summary
At a Feb. 24 study session the Azusa Unified School District Board reviewed a search plan from consultants, set outreach and survey plans (English, Spanish, Mandarin), and agreed on key dates: survey and stakeholder sessions in March, an April 6 application deadline (noon), candidate interviews May 16 and contract approval in mid-June.
The Azusa Unified School District Board of Education reviewed a consultant-led plan for hiring a new superintendent at a study session on Feb. 24, approving a timeline meant to produce a successor in time to begin around July 1.
Leadership Associates consultants, introduced by Superintendent Arturo Ortega, told the board they would run stakeholder input sessions and an online survey and post the position description and salary range on their website and in the statewide EdCal and ACSA channels. The consultants said the district’s online survey will be available in English, Spanish and Mandarin and will ask respondents to classify themselves (student, parent, teacher, CSEA member, etc.) so the board can see whose voices the results reflect. "We will begin to create a web page together announcing this information," one consultant said.
Why it matters: The board is aiming to hire and onboard a superintendent before the 2026–27 school year, with a public process intended to capture staff, student, parent and community priorities. Board members emphasized the search should produce a leader who understands Azusa’s demographics and can work collaboratively with unions, families and city partners.
Key dates and process details: Consultants proposed stakeholder meetings during the week of March 9, with the online survey running roughly March 9–20. They said the application posting would go live immediately and announced a posting deadline of April 6 at noon (a change from an earlier 5 p.m. deadline). After applications close, consultants will perform vetting and reference checks; the board will hold a special meeting in late April to review tiered candidates and select interviewees. The consultants proposed a full-day interview schedule on Saturday, May 16, followed by contract negotiation and a contract approval at a regular board meeting in mid-June.
Board priorities and community input: Board members repeatedly raised the importance of transparency and community engagement, listing desired candidate attributes that include instructional leadership, experience with the district’s demographic mix, bilingual communication, strong human-relations skills and fiscal competence. A public commenter who identified themself as president of the teachers union pressed the board to include teachers and other staff as stakeholders in the process.
Outreach and safeguards: Consultants said they will advertise the vacancy to roughly 1,500 contacts through Leadership Associates’ distribution and on EdCal; they said the survey will be anonymous but include classification data and that technical safeguards (IP restrictions) will limit duplicate responses.
Votes at a glance: The board approved the meeting agenda by a hand vote (unanimous) early in the session and later voted unanimously to adjourn at 7:34 p.m. No other formal board actions on hires or contracts were taken at the meeting.
What's next: Leadership Associates will post the position materials and survey links and begin outreach; the board will provide additional candidate characteristics to the consultants before the stakeholder sessions in March. The board moves next into a closed session portion of the process to review candidate-related items and will return to public meetings for any contract approval.
