More on the Administrator Search

At last Tuesday’s meeting, Board leadership indicated that when applications close on August 11, we will be having a subsequent special session to examine all applications to date and at that meeting, consider a motion to enter Closed Session to review those applications. There was extensive discussion both at that meeting and at the June 4 meeting about whether we should evaluate Administrator applications in closed session or conduct the process of narrowing the applicant pool in open session. I respect and understand the merits of both perspectives.

However, given the current dynamics, I am not convinced that a closed session, if it were even permissible, would yield a truly different outcome than conducting the selection process openly. In the balance between confidentiality and transparency, with the thought that the outcome sought, namely, getting a list of 4-6 finalists, is roughly equal in both processes, I would favor the most transparent of the two routes.

I believe we should reconsider pursuing a closed session and instead opt for an open session to carry out the work of selecting finalists to best ensure that our process is accessible to all stakeholders.