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Board chooses open appointment process to fill upcoming superintendent vacancy, sets July special meeting
Summary
With Superintendent Lisette Estrella Henderson retiring Sept. 1, the board voted to use an open appointment/interview process with an ad hoc committee to vet applicants and scheduled a special candidate-interview meeting in July (final date: July 23).
The board voted to pursue an open appointment process, using an ad hoc committee to screen applicants and recommend finalists for interviews, to fill the upcoming vacancy created by Superintendent Lisette Estrella Henderson's announced retirement on Sept. 1.
Trustee Dean moved for the open, transparent appointment process and the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote. Trustees discussed three options — immediate appointment, an open appointment/interview process, or a costly countywide special election — and uniformly rejected a special election as fiscally imprudent given costs that can exceed $1 million and the fact an appointed successor would face election again in 2026.
The board set a special meeting to interview candidates in July; because the retiring superintendent needed to be present, trustees later adjusted the interview date to July 23 at 6 p.m. Trustees agreed the ad hoc committee would develop candidate criteria and interview questions and bring recommendations back to the full board, and staff said the board archive contains a prior process template to accelerate work. The board signaled intent to open the application process after the May meeting once the ad hoc committee finalizes criteria.
