The Sausalito Marin City School District has hired one of its former administrators to recruit an interim superintendent.
The trustees voted unanimously Thursday to allocate $11,000 to a consulting firm run by Terena Mares for a nine-week accelerated effort to have a suitable candidate in place by Oct. 1.
Mares, a longtime administrator for the Marin County Office of Education who stepped in as interim superintendent in the 2018-19 school year, now lives in Nevada City. Her rate includes reimbursement for travel and lodging when Mares needs to be at the district office for interviews or meetings, she said.
“I am uniquely suited to know the characteristics and the strengths that this district needs,” Mares said. “We want to make sure that a candidate understands the unique ethnic and cultural diversity of this community and also understands its rich and complex history.”
The finalist will be expected to stay at least a year while the board decides on a longer-range plan for the position, Mares said.
“My hope is that through the interim superintendent, the district will be able to distill down the priorities for a new permanent superintendent to come in,” Mares said.
Board members were enthusiastic about Mares and her knowledge of the district.
“I think all of us on the board and the community are looking forward to working with you over the next nine weeks,” board president Lauren Walters told Mares.
The interim superintendent will replace LaResha Huffman, who resigned after a three-year run. In a settlement, the board rescinded a two-year contract extension and gave Huffman a $241,000 severance payment. Huffman agreed not to pursue claims of discrimination or harassment against the district.
The board meeting Thursday also included a presentation by acting superintendent Valerie Pitts, who said she will focus on “rightsizing” the district administrative staff and salaries.
“SMCSD has been fined for several years by the state for being out of compliance with recommended administrative ratios,” Pitts said. “Many districts have recently had to undertake rightsizing to balance staffing ratios, especially in declining enrollment environments.”
She presented a chart showing 13 positions with pay and benefits ranging from $136,220 for a payroll clerk to $354,235 for the superintendent. Two certificated directors each make more than $252,000, and three classified directors make between $158,000 and $210,513.
During the public comment period, Marin City activist Marilyn Mackel said some district administrators are making “more than a lot of state judges.”
Nathan Scripps, president of the teachers’ union, questioned whether such a large administrative staff was needed for a district with one small TK-8 school of 265 students: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy in Sausalito. With a budget of about $13 million, the district is spending as much as 20% of its budget on salaries and benefits for administrators, Scripps said.
“Let’s make sure the administrators are actually working here on campus,” Scripps said. In the past, teachers have objected to some administrators working remotely one or two days per week and not being available to help with staff concerns.
As for the vacancy on the district board, the trustees voted unanimously to advertise for applicants to replace Caroline Tiziani, who resigned on June 26. The board plans to appoint a candidate to fill the seat on a provisional basis until the Nov. 3 elections.
Updates on the administrative restructuring and the board vacancy are expected at the next meeting, which is scheduled for Aug. 13.