LVJUSD to host town hall next week for public input on supe search

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Gears are turning at the Livermore school district to hire a permanent superintendent by June.

Aiming to publish the job listing early May, applications are set for review throughout the month followed by interviews during the last weekend of May, according to school board President Steven Drouin.

Throughout the process, the district will also solicit input from the community about what qualities district families would want to see in its next leader. Next Tuesday (May 5), a town hall session is set for the public to attend. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in the board room at 685 East Jack London Blvd.

In addition to town halls, future input opportunities — to be designed by the board ad hoc committee, staff and the Alameda County Office of Education — include a community survey and meetings with labor partners, according to Drouin.

The intended recruitment schedule and a progress update on selecting a permanent superintendent was laid out during the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District’s April 21 Board of Education meeting.

In response to a question raised by board member Deena Kaplanis during the discussion, it was not clear at the time of the meeting whether non-committee board members would be permitted to attend the May 5 town hall.

The two-person ad hoc hiring committee is composed of Drouin and Trustee Christiaan VandenHeuvel.

“I’m also concerned that the search may result in hiring someone from a large urban district who brings different values and approaches that may not fit Livermore’s unique diversity, culture and priorities,” Kaplanis said.

ACOE is not looking exclusively for a candidate from the county and the board is setting the standards with the goal of finding someone who best fits those standards, Drouin replied.

Since the ad hoc hiring committee was formed in March, it met with district staff and the ACOE hiring team to discuss the district’s priorities and refine a game plan.

The gathering included LVJUSD director of communications and engagement Michelle Dawson, assistant superintendent of human resources Jessica Bonduris and executive assistant to the superintendent Lori Rice.

“We were able to be honest and vulnerable and express what we were looking for in our next superintendent,” VandenHeuvel said of the brainstorming sessions with ACOE.

The ACOE team will also meet individually with non-committee board members to develop and refine a list of priorities to drive the search, according to Drouin.

“These core set of priorities will then be used as a jumping-off point for the creation of the opportunities for community input,” Drouin said.

The resulting input will be used to create the superintendent job description and advertising for the position, Drouin said.

The selected candidate will take over the reins from acting superintendent Michelle Pechette, who was appointed to the helm Feb. 10 — four days after Torie Gibson left the district via mutual separation agreement.

In addition to the progress update by Drouin, the board unanimously approved an employment contract for Pechette to serve as acting superintendent through the end of June.

Under the contract, Pechette maintains her employment as assistant superintendent of educational services. The additional responsibility of serving as the acting superintendent comes with a pay bump of $396.39 daily. The per diem rate equates to the difference between Pechette’s salary and the salary of a first-year superintendent.

“It was my intent to have Ms. Pechette serve as an acting superintendent for a few days while the board found an interim superintendent, largely to help us navigate our budget,” Drouin said. “With Ms. Pechette’s assistance, we navigated those waters — and with lots of input and collaboration.”

The board opted to discontinue the interim search and go straight into looking for a permanent leader, Drouin explained.

He added, employing an acting superintendent from Feb. 11 to June 30 costs the district just over $36,000 where as hiring an interim would have cost about $138,000.

“I appreciate her dedication stepping in and stepping up for the students of our district, while facing tremendous challenges and potential costs,” Drouin said of Pechette.

All trustees voiced similar sentiments, applauding Pechette’s work and expressing their support of the employment agreement.

There were no public comments on Pechette’s contract ahead of the board’s vote.