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Rialto Unified reviews leadership profile as parents press for stronger special-education support
Summary
The board received a draft leadership profile from Hazard Young and Associates summarizing nearly 900 community responses that prioritized student safety, special education and instructional leadership; the profile will be posted in English and Spanish and the search firm will present candidate slates later.
The Rialto Unified School District board on Sept. 22 received a draft leadership profile from Hazard Young and Associates (HYA) as part of its superintendent search, and parents used the public comment period to press for faster, more accountable special-education services.
The profile presentation by Mr. Ali, HYA’s executive lead, summarized stakeholder engagement including nearly 900 survey responses, six in-person community sessions and 21 virtual focus groups. He said the top priorities identified were “providing a safe environment for students and employees” (nearly 70%) and preparing students for the next grade or for college and careers (65%). The search firm will upload the leadership profile and a timeline, in English and Spanish, to the district website.
Why it matters: The leadership profile will guide which qualifications and priorities the board uses to screen and interview superintendent candidates. Community comments at the meeting underscored persistent concerns about special-education delays, equity gaps and trust in district governance—the very issues the profile flagged.
Parents and advocates who spoke during the three-minute public comment slots urged the board to prioritize special education and inclusion. Stephanie Lopez told the board the next superintendent must “advocate for special education services and foster an inclusive school environment” and must understand federal and state protections such as IDEA, the ADA and Section 504. A parent who identified herself as Alisa, representing a support group for parents of children with special needs, said a Sept. 19 session made clear parents’ priorities should be considered in the search.
Sandra Aguilar recounted a long delay in obtaining an IEP-related psychological evaluation, saying, “it’s been five years since the first incident,” and asking that the new superintendent make students the top priority and ensure IEPs are handled promptly. Pat Kelly, a consultant who advised the district, thanked the search firm and urged the board to choose a leader who will unite the community and leave a long-term positive legacy.
During his presentation Mr. Ali emphasized legal confidentiality rules for personnel searches, referencing the Brown Act provision and saying, “Members of the board have not received any profile of any candidates. Full stop.” He described how HYA combined district data, LCAP materials, stakeholder surveys and focus groups to draft the profile and highlighted recurring themes in the data: safety, equity, special education expertise and a need for stronger systems and operational stability.
Board members thanked community participants and staff for robust engagement; several noted turnout at the Spanish-language session and asked that key documents and a timeline be posted publicly. Board member Williams cited a specific respondent count (869) and urged continued community input as finalists are vetted. The board did not review or receive candidate résumés at this meeting.
Next steps: Mr. Ali said the leadership profile will be posted for the community and that the search firm will proceed to review applicants and present a slate of candidates in the coming weeks for board interviews and consideration. The meeting adjourned after routine motions to adopt the agenda and to close the session.
