The search for the next leader of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system will soon enter a busy, 21-day last stretch, ending with a final selection on July 1.
The school board settled on this quick  only after two hastily called, and at times contentious, meetings held Thursday. It was approved unanimously.
School Board member Mike Gaudet complained that the schedule was too aggressive, suggesting in vain that the board take a bit more time, putting off a final vote until after the Fourth of July holiday.
Gaudet oversaw two superintendent searches in 2020 when he served as board president. He said he feels like “his back is up against the wall†and that board members will have too little time to properly learn about the candidates.
“To me it’s much more important to get this right than to get it on a timeline, †Gaudet said.
Board Vice President Patrick Martin V said the board needs to act sooner rather than later.
“We have to move forward,†Martin said. “Is it the perfect, ideal timeline? No.â€
The search was necessitated by the departure of Sito Narcisse, who accepted a voluntary buyout in January, six weeks after the board voted 5-4 to not renew his contract.
Longtime district administrator Adam Smith immediately stepped in as interim superintendent, a job he can legally hold for only six months, or until July 23. Smith served as interim superintendent previously but was edged out by Narcisse for the top job in January 2021. Smith is expected to apply again.
The advertising for the vacant position began in mid-May. The deadline to apply is Monday.
On Tuesday, the hired search firm, , plans to turn over the applications to the School Board, which then plans to post them online, first redacting certain personal information such as telephone numbers and email addresses.
A series of meetings are to follow:
- Tuesday, June 18. Settling on which applicants to invite back as semifinalists and participate in virtual interviews.
- Thursday, June 20. Selection of finalists.
- Wednesday, June 26. Public introduction and a “Meet and Greet†with finalists.
- Thursday, June 27. Live interviews of finalists.
- Monday, July 1. Selection of Superintendent.
The timeline, however, could change if a lot of people apply. SSA Consultants’ contract calls for it to vet the candidates, including conducting background checks.
Martin said this is just an “initial" timeline and process, which the board may adjust later.
Although not specified in what was approved Thursday, the virtual interviews of semifinalists are likely to be conducted not by the board, but by SSA Consultants and provided for board members and the public to review before the finalists are selected.
As Thursday’s discussion meandered, Adonica Duggan, CEO of the influential nonprofit, , urged the board to “take a beat†to get the process right because decisions made now become very consequential later.
“There are a lot of decisions in this process that are not really being thought through,†Duggan said.
Gaudet faulted the board leadership in taking too long to get the search rolling.
“I’ve been trying to be kind in this, but we’ve had five and half months,†he said, “and this is absolutely the most important decision we make as a board.â€
Board President Carla Powell-Lewis took issue with Gaudet’s comments, saying the board has had a lot of issues to tackle that delayed the matter. She also said it was important to take time before the official search and try to get community engagement, which the board did last month when it hired Atlanta-based Cognia.
“I chose to run for this seat because I am a teacher who teaches government and that everybody should have a voice,†Powell-Lewis said.
Board member Cliff Lewis, however, expressed dismay that Cognia’s 15-page report, which cost $32,000, after it was completed last month, but never promoted or presented publicly.
“We paid a lot of money and it’s just living on ,†Lewis said incredulously.
Storm Matthews, an active teacher with the East Baton Rouge Association of Educators who has been a vocal supporter of making Smith permanent superintendent, objected to holding a final vote July 1, on the eve of the July Fourth holiday weekend.
“This flies really in the face of the community,†Matthews said. “It’s July 1st. Everybody is out of town that week. Everybody.â€
Nevertheless, she said she is working to persuade people to come anyway.
“I put the call out yesterday when I saw it; I said, ‘Hey everybody, cancel whatever you have, change your family reunions, your vacations, your cruises. Whatever it is that you’ve got going, if you can change it, move the date, do whatever because Adam (Smith) needs you,'†Matthews said. “'Change it. You need to be here.’â€
Board attorney Gwynn Shamlin said the reason for the July 1 vote is because the advertisement for the vacant superintendent job last appeared in The Advocate on May 29. By law, the board can’t pick anyone for 30 days after that ad ran — 30 days after is Thursday. June 28, he said.
District offices are closed on Friday in the summer, so the following Monday, July 1, was settled on, Shamlin said.
