Public Input Sought Tonight on Permanent DUSD Superintendent (POLL)

How should the Board of Education go about filling an open position for superintendent?

Should it begin looking for qualified candidates, separate the strong candidates from the weak ones and begin the interviewing process? Or should it appoint interim superintendent Brian Dolan to the position?

That is the question before the public and one that the school board hopes to gain input on during tonight’s meeting of the school board. The public will have a chance to sound off on this topic and many others during tonight’s meeting scheduled for 7 p.m., at 600 East A Street, the chambers of the Dixon City Council.

According to a staff report, the board specifically wants input on whether or not it should appoint Dolan to the superintendent’s position on a permanent basis. Back in July, then-superintendent stepped down from his position to enter retirement.

Ever since then, Dolan has taken the position and has had a noticeable, positive impact on the relations between the school board, labor unions and the community. But Dolan’s contract as interim superintendent expires on June 30, 2012, and the board will need to seek a permanent replacement.

Should the board decide to begin the search for a new candidate, it would cost the district an estimated between $15,000 and $30,000 with the average cost of the search costing $20,000. Back in 2008, when the district hired Halberg, it spent $12,000 on the search after getting a discount of $5,000 from the search firm because it had been less than two years since the previous search.

The staff report said that associated legal fees incurred during the vetting process would be added onto the cost of the open search.

Should the board promote Dolan to permanent superintendent?