By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The three finalists for Bowling Green City Schools superintendent will be put through their paces Wednesday and Thursday.
The school board really wants the community to have a role in the superintendent selection process, according to board President Ryan Myers. To do that, the finalists will spend Wednesday evening and all day Thursday meeting with different groups, touring the schools, then meeting some more.
“The board felt it was important that all the stakeholders be part of the process,” Myers said after Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. “We want every group to be represented.”
After the meetings between the candidates and various community and school groups, those present will be asked to fill out feedback forms. Those forms will be collected by Cheryl Ryan, director of board and management services with the Ohio School Boards Association, who is helping with the search process.
“It’s a lot of information we’re asking for,” Myers said.
But the board values community input and wants as much as possible as it narrows its decision to the best candidate, he said.
The school board started with 17 candidates applying for the position which will be vacated when Superintendent Francis Scruci retires this summer. Earlier this month, the board narrowed the field to seven. And after interviews last week, the field was further narrowed to three.
The three making the cut are:
- Kim Brueck, director of human resources and student services at Green Local Schools, near Akron, enrollment 4,048.
- Ted Haselman, superintendent at Pike-Delta-York Local Schools, in Fulton County, enrollment 1,134.
- Bruce Otley, operations Director, Liberty-Benton Local Schools, near Findlay, enrollment 1,497.
“This is a very talented slate of candidates,” Ryan said last week when the finalists were announced. “All three finalists are excited about the opportunity.”
So here is the schedule that has been set for the finalists …
On Wednesday evening, the three will meet – one at a time – with the public for question-answer sessions.
- Each of the three will be given 45 minutes to meet with community members in the Veterans Building in Bowling Green City Park.
- The first candidate will meet the community and answer questions from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. The second will do the same from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., and the third from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m.
Their work will continue on Thursday with the following schedule:
- In the morning, the candidates will rotate so individually they will meet with district directors, central office staff, and the district treasurer.
- Over lunch, the candidates will each be accompanied by one or two board members to three different local restaurants.
- In the afternoon, each candidate will tour every school building, accompanied by a different board member.
- In the evening, the superintendent candidates will rotate, spending one hour each with district teachers, then with city leaders, then be interviewed by the board.
Also on Thursday, the school board will hold special meetings at 8:40 a.m. and 3:10 p.m., at the Wood County District Public Library, and at 4:55 p.m. at the Bowling Green Middle School. Board members will immediately go into executive session at each of those times.
When all the interviews are completed Thursday evening, the school board will continue to deliberate, according to Myers, who said he can’t predict if the board will make a decision after reconvening in public.
During public meetings last month with various stakeholders in the community, Cheryl Ryan collected input on the qualities most sought in a new superintendent. She met with parents, civic and community leaders, business officials, school staff and citizens.
At the top of the wish list were the abilities to be a healer, communicator, collaborator and someone the community trusts. Community members also identified the challenges a new superintendent will face coming to Bowling Green, such as old school buildings, lack of unity, and multiple levy failures which have resulted in low staff morale.
