Board interviews superintendent candidates

The Cedar Grove-Belgium School Board was scheduled to interview a couple of superintendent candidates this week, and if things go well could hold a day in the district early next week, board President Chad Hoopman said.

The board initiated a search for a new superintendent after Chad Brakke announced he was leaving the district at the end of the school year to move closer to Minneapolis, where his wife works.

The district hired the search firm Hazard Young Attea and Associates based in Arlington Heights, Ill., to find the next school leader.

The School Board this month narrowed a field of 19 candidates to a pool of six with plans to cut that group to three finalists. The trio were to spend a day in the school district on Monday and meet with the public that night.

But the board didn’t find any candidates it liked and is seeking more.

“The board remains committed and optimistic to secure a superintendent that aligns to the position’s profile that was created with the help of our staff and our community,” Hoopman said.

HYA and Associates reposted the position as “open until filled,” and now the board sees every application.

“We will review the applicants on a case-by-case basis as the resumes come in,” Hoopman said. “The intent would be to schedule an interview with any applicant who might be a match to the profile.”

That profile got some nationwide publicity last week when some of the terms from the input HYA and Associates received struck a nerve with several people.

Among desired characteristics, one of the more than 30 items in a list of responses from the School Board, was “must match the makeup of our community (conservative, Christian values)” and another was “conservative politically/fiscally.”

Wisconsin Public Radio did a story on those terms being in the profile, which was picked up by Newsweek.

The board last week posted on the school district’s Facebook page about the comment, citing a disclaimer in the 17-page profile report “that any comments made during focus group sessions are ‘considered personal opinions of the individual making the comments regarding the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District.’”

In addition, in the staff input section of the profile report, someone wrote “We are a conservative community and we will be happiest with someone with those types of values.”

The post said, “These comments were since removed from the focus group section of the report.”

While those comments were part of the input HYA and Associates received in talking to nearly 100 people and more than 10 focus groups, the Facebook post referenced the actual candidate profile.

“This profile never contained any requirements that would be discriminatory towards any potential applicant.  The Cedar Grove-Belgium School District is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against applicants for their religious or political beliefs,” the post said.

Some of the specific qualities include:

• Promoting excellence and innovation to the students, staff and community.

• Building strong relationships with all stakeholders.

• Continuing implementation of the Rocket Academy — the school’s charter school focused on technical education.

• Upholding core community beliefs and values.

• Being visible throughout the schools and community.

• Recruiting students and families to the district.

• Communicating regularly and clearly.

• Engaging and bringing all stakeholders together.

• Developing relationships with all employees and board members targeted toward student success.

• Planning and managing the long-term financial health of the district.

• Making difficult decisions and holding all staff, including himself or herself, accountable.

Declining enrollment was listed as a challenge by the School Board and staff. The next superintendent will be tasked with increasing the customer base and recruiting students and families through a marketing plan.

Hiring another Brakke was preferred by multiple focus groups. The community called for a “clone of the current superintendent,” and students called for “someone as personable as Mr. Brakke.”

The salary range for the position is $140,000 to $180,000.

The posting and profile can be found at https://tinyurl.com/3fwbh3fr.

Brakke is leaving the district on June 30 to become superintendent of the Baldwin-Woodville School District, about 30 minutes east of Minneapolis.