Springfield’s School Board deadlocked Friday night over who to choose as acting superintendent for the rest of the school year.
The failure to appoint a temporary leader comes after months of discord between the school board members themselves, the community, and the district’s administration.
The candidates were Brian Megert, Director of Special Programs for the district, Ame Beard, the Principal of Academy of Arts and Academics, and Jodi O’Mara, the former Superintendent of Mapleton School District.
After three failed votes, with board members Jonathan Light and Amber Langworthy preferring Beard, and Nicole De Graff and Ken Kohl preferring O’Mara, the board decided to try again during their Monday meeting.
The School Board lost its fifth member–and likely tiebreaking vote–earlier this month, when chair Heather Quaas-Annsa resigned, citing dysfunction, threats and harassment.
On Monday, the board is also scheduled to vote on their current superintendent Todd Hamilton’s finalized resignation agreement.
Board Chair Jonathan Light said he approached 10 or 11 candidates, including several retired superintendents, and some declined. He argued that an internal candidate was the best choice, and Beard has a proven track record.
“Being able to turn around an organization to financial viability, to increase enrollment, to get the kind of graduation rates that we aspire to as a district,” Light said.”I think that these are all plusses, and in a way, having a short-run way, the four month time period, gives us the advantage of seeing if any of the candidates are the kind of leader that we want."
De Graff and Kohl said they prioritized previous superintendent experience because the district’s temporary leader will be tasked with closing a predicted $10.4 million budget gap.
"I know we need someone with a lot of district level experience,” De Graff said. “I think having someone that's been in the role, even though there's a learning curve of learning the people here, might be better for the district as a whole."
De Graff also accused Light of acting unilaterally and said she was worried open meeting law could have been violated.
Light said Hamilton’s last day is Feb. 28 and he didn’t want there to be a gap in leadership. He told De Graff he tried to call her to explain. He and vice chair Amber Langworthy said they did talk about the process outside of an open session, but argued that discussions of scheduling and logistics did not violate Oregon open meeting laws.
De Graff said she didn’t answer Light’s call because she believed it would be deliberating outside an open meeting.
If the board can’t make a decision, De Graff said the district should have Lane ESD, a government body that oversees school districts, take over some leadership functions for the rest of the school year.
“This process needs to be transparent and we need to make sure it's legitimate for everybody,” De Graff said.
The Springfield School District has been in turmoil for most of the school year, with parents and teachers raising concerns about whether the district’s elementary school curriculum is meeting state science and math standards and a state investigation over that issue.
The School Board itself has struggled with dysfunction as well, with Light and Kohl being censured in the fall for violating policy. De Graff and Kohl are also facing a potential recall vote over their decision to allow the superintendent to lay off 27 teachers in the middle of the school year.
Hamilton and another top administrator have also informed the district of plans to sue, accusing Light, Kohl and Langworthy of retaliation and defamation.
If the school board members can come to a consensus on who should be the acting superintendent, that person will start the job on March 2.
During their Friday meeting, the board also discussed the process for finding an interim superintendent who will lead the district through next school year. The school board has not yet had a formal process to decide what qualities they want in their next leader and that person will start the job in July.
The school board is also in the midst of replacing Quaas-Annsa after her resignation. Applications for the seat close Feb. 27, and the school board is expected to interview finalists March 9.
