In the continuation of the June 28 school board meeting the morning of June 29, Tacoma School Board decided that deputy superintendent Ethelda Burke will be the acting superintendent for the month of July while a search is conducted for an interim superintendent.
The board and current superintendent Charlie Milligan agreed on a settlement June 28 that provides him severance of upwards of $400,000.
His official last day with the district will be Aug. 1.
Board President Connie Rickman said Milligan would not be required to come to work unless requested, but must be available to the district as a consultant. He will get paid the next four weeks whether heâ??s at the district offices or not.
â??Ethelda will assume responsibility of the district without question,â?? Rickman commented, â??the day-to-day running of the district.â??
During the two-hour meeting June 29, the board outlined a tentative schedule for the interim search, which is as follows:
- July 3 â?? Position posted
- July 13 â?? Applications must be postmarked
- July 16-20 â?? Board reviews applicants
- July 24-26 â?? Interview candidates
- July 26 â?? Regular board meeting, at which time discussion/deliberation will take place on an interim superintendent
- July 27 â?? Contract negotiations for interim
- Aug. 1 â?? Interim superintendent comes on board
â??Ideally, we want to put an interim superintendent in the functional role as quickly as possible,â?? said Jim Dugan, school board vice president, noting the presence of someone in that role will â??create sustainabilityâ?? and â??provide seamless coordination.â??
Boardmember Debbie Winskill is confident the district will get enough candidates for the interim position despite the short time frame since thereâ??s â??a lot of buzz going around.â??
Once applications are received, each board member will be able to review all the candidates individually under the request of boardmember Kurt Miller. Dugan emphasized he would also like to personally review all the candidates. This review of applicants will likely take place July 16.
The board will also review the candidates as a whole during executive sessions tentatively scheduled for July 17 and 18. They must meet in executive session again when they conduct interviews of the candidates, according to Susan Schreurs, the districtâ??s general counsel.
The board also outlined details for the interim position June 29. It will be an â??at-willâ?? position, which means it may be terminated at any time, but the candidate must be available through June 2008. The board agreed upon an annual salary of $185,000 to be dispersed on a monthly basis. Board members appointed Dugan as the board representative during contract negotiations with the interim.
Miller suggested the district examine using a labor attorney in addition to the districtâ??s general counsel during the negotiations. This idea was not favored by all board members. Schreurs said the district and board â??can always consult with an attorneyâ?? if desired.
The board decided the candidates applying donâ??t have to live within district boundaries, but they must be willing to engage/participate in the community. This is one of the areas of concerns the board had with Milligan.
Winskill was appointed the board representative to check the two professional and two personal references submitted during the application process by the candidates.
To gain insight into the candidates applying for the position, the board will include in the job posting that applicants must submit a cover letter inclusive, Dugan said, of â??any information that they want (the board) to know that is not reflected in the resume.â??
He also expressed caution when it comes time to do the interviews. â??Not all good interviews are good candidates,â?? he said, and, â??not all bad interviews are bad candidates.â??
The board also discussed tentative contract language to allow Schreurs the opportunity to put something in draft form. The interim will receive the standard leave benefits for exempt district employees in regard to sick and bereavement days. The interim will not get any supplemental days, the board decided in the public meeting June 29. However, as custom, the temporary leader of the district for no more than a one-year period will get a flat-rate car allowance that is yet to be determined, as well as health benefits for himself or herself and any dependents.
Rickman said she was pleased the board was able to get so much accomplished during the continued board meeting.
