The HUUSD Board met on Wednesday, November 10. Main topics of discussion were the failed bond vote, the search for a new superintendent, and budget planning for the 2022-23 school year.
Discussion about the failed bond vote included reflections and reactions to the outcome, as well as thoughts on next steps related to projects that had been included in the bond proposal. Board members reflected on the factors that might have influenced the outcome and implications for moving forward. One looming question was, could or should the Board put a different bond proposal before voters on Town Meeting Day in March? Any new proposal would need Board approval by mid-January. This would be challenging due to the demands around budgeting and the superintendent search which will take up most of the Board’s agenda over the next few months. The Board will be finalizing its plans in this area over the next several weeks.
The search for the next HUUSD Superintendent has begun in earnest. Last week, the Board’s search firm hosted a series of stakeholder meetings with community members, teachers, staff, administrators, and students in order to identify key qualifications and questions which will be used to evaluate candidates. At this week’s Board meeting, the Board finalized the interview process. These include the development of a preliminary search committee which includes Board members, a principal, and a leader from the teachers’ union; the committee will review applications and select finalists for consideration by the whole Board and the community. By the end of January 2022, we hope to have up to three finalists. These candidates will visit the community, meet with the Board, and interview with stakeholders. Stakeholder interviews will be recorded so that they can be viewed by the community prior to the Board’s final selection. More about the superintendent search is available here: https://huusd.org/superintendent-search
Budget planning for the coming school year will begin in earnest in early December so that the School Board is able to present a proposed spending request to voters at Town Meeting Day. At this past meeting, the District’s finance director made a presentation about the budget process (available here).
The Board will have its next regular meeting on Wednesday, November 17, at 6PM. This will be a hybrid meeting that can be attended in-person or remotely via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/386460007), or viewed on youtube (tinyurl.com/huwebapp-youtube-live).
As always, the Board welcomes feedback from our community. One of the easiest ways to share your thoughts is to send an email to [email protected], which will go to every Board member. There is also time at every Board meeting for public comment. Alternately, reach out to one of your neighbors who is on the school board and share your thoughts in a personal email or phone call (see a list of Board members and contact information at https://tinyurl.com/523wtrnj).