Baton Rouge school board extends finish line to name new superintendent by 10 days (2024)

The next leader of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system won’t be selected until July 11, 10 days later than previously planned, according to a new timeline adopted by the parish School Board.

The original timeline became untenable, as board members sought more time to learn more about those seeking the job and to accommodate outside requests to participate. The July Fourth holidays, a time when many people had planned out-of-town trips, also has proved a big obstacle.

“It makes it difficult to have the full level of public involvement we would like,” board Vice President Patrick Martin V said.

The School Board on Thursday approved the new schedule without opposition, passing over two other options, including one that would have kept July 1 as the final vote date.

The extended timeline gives the nine-member board three more weeks to size up the applicants for the job as opposed to just 10 days.

Earlier this week, the board narrowed the field of 16 remaining applicants to five semifinalists:

• Kevin George, director of the LSU Lab School in Baton Rouge.
• Patrick Jenkins, chief operations officer for the Jefferson Parish school system.
• Krish Mohip, a chief education officer for the Illinois State Board of Education.
• Adam Smith, interim superintendent of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system.
• Andrea Zayas, former chief academic officer of Boston Public Schools.

The newly adopted timeline replaces a more aggressive, but bare-bones timeline adopted earlier this month in the hopes of wrapping up the search process before the July Fourth holidays. Board members considered alternatives when they met Tuesday, offering feedback but holding off on a vote.

On Thursday, SSA Consultants sent board members a much more detailed schedule that stretches on for seven printed pages. It was adopted with a few small changes.

“We worked diligently to try and flesh out as much information, as much detail as possible,” SSA CEO Christel Slaughter told the board.

Here is new timeline:

• Tuesday, June 25: Video interviews and written question responses submitted by the five semifinalists that are released publicly.
• Friday, June 28: A special board meeting at 5 p.m. whereas many as three finalists are selected.
• Monday, July 8: A full day of interviews of finalists conducted by multiple panels led by parents, principals and teachers, business leaders, and community leaders. A public “meet and greet” with all the finalists from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 9: Special board meeting starting at 2 p.m. for the board to interview all finalists for 90 minutes apiece. Earlier in the day, the candidates will tour three schools each.
• Thursday, July 11: Special board meeting to select the next superintendent.

That final week will be super busy, with full days on July 8 and 9.

“You have until July 8th to get in shape, because this will be a marathon,” Slaughter said.

Those days would be punctuated by breakfasts and dinners with the candidates. Public participants those days will be able to fill out an online survey where they can offer feedback on the finalists.

At their special meetings, the board members may if they choose retreat into a closed, executive session to discuss the “character, professional competence, or physical or mental health” of one or more of the candidates.

The ongoing search was necessitated by the departure of Sito Narcisse, who accepted a voluntary buyout in January, six weeks after the School Board voted 5-4 to not renew his contract. Narcisse left three years after he was hired.

Smith, who first began with the school system in 1996, 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.

Schools return from summer break soon, with employees reporting back to work Aug. 5 and students coming back Aug. 8.

The East Baton Rouge Parish school system is the second-largest traditional district in Louisiana, with more than 40,000 students and nearly 6,000 employees.