Tahoma School District will seek an interim superintendent to oversee the district until July 2021, according to a plan developed by the School Board during its two-day annual planning meetings on Oct. 4 and 5.
The plan, which will be formally adopted at the Oct. 8 School Board meeting, is in response to the Sept. 30 resignation of former Superintendent Tony Giurado.
The interim superintendent plan is the option preferred by all five board members. According to the plan, the School Board will invite current Tahoma principals and other administrators to apply for the position by Oct. 14. The board will interview candidates and make a selection at its Oct. 22 meeting.
The person selected for the position would be provided support and mentoring in order to guide the school district through the remainder of the current school year and the 2020-2021 school year. The timing provides stability as voters elect two new School Board directors in November and as the district prepares for a levy election in 2020. It also allows ample time to conduct a superintendent search in the 2020-2021 school year.
The other option that was considered by the School Board would have required Acting Superintendent Lori Cloud to remain in that role for the remainder of the school year while the board conducts a formal recruitment process for a new superintendent. Cloud told the School Board she would support what the board decides but prefers to return to her regular duties as assistant superintendent and director of finance and operations. The board agreed and chose the interim superintendent plan. Cloud said she is not interested in becoming superintendent on a permanent basis.
The School Board also discussed the other major business item during the two-day planning session: school levies. After lengthy discussion, board directors reached consensus to seek community support for a four-year Educational Programs and Operations Levy that would replace the current EP&O levy, and a four-year Technology Levy in the Feb. 11, 2020 election. The board will formally discuss levy details on Oct. 8. Look for further information in Thursday’s Tahoma Matters newsletter.
