About 80 Fox School District residents and employees attended a community forum held Tuesday (Sept. 2) to get public input about the search for a superintendent to replace Dianne Critchlow, who is on leave until her retirement in October.
Nearly 20 people spoke at the forum, giving their opinions about what the Board of Education should look for in a superintendent.
Several of the speakers said they want a superintendent with “integrity” and “honesty.”
Others spoke about the importance of hiring a superintendent with excellent leadership skills who can quickly take over, boost employee morale and regain the trust of the community.
Numerous speakers complained about nepotism and cronyism in the district and said they want to see the board hire a superintendent who has no ties to the district, maybe even someone from outside the state.
The Fox school board hired consultant Brent Underwood of the Missouri School Boards Association to help with the search, and he presided over the community forum, held at the Fox C-6 Service Center.
Underwood, a former administrator with the Mehlville School District and retired superintendent of the Webster Groves School District, promised to recommend only the best qualified candidates, regardless of where they’re from.
“I pledge to you I only will bring candidates to you who meet the requirements you want,” he told the forum attendees. “I’m beholden to no one and I’ve promised nothing to anyone but you, who I’ve promised to bring good candidates to. They (school board members) are not giving me marching orders. I will give you the best candidates. We’ll find a person. There is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Underwood said there has been interest in the superintendent job, despite the recent turmoil in the district.
Critchlow has been on leave since derogatory comments made online about district residents were reportedly traced to computers at her Arnold home.
Her husband, Jamie Critchlow, another Fox administrator, was fired.
Comments also reportedly were traced to computers at the home of two other Fox administrators, Dan Baker and his wife, Angela Burns Baker, and they were placed on leave but then allowed to continue working at the district after losing some pay and vacation and sick time.
The three district residents who were the targets of the online comments – Sam Ferry, Richard Simpson Jr. and Michelle Tyler – have filed a libel lawsuit against the online posters, although the defendant is listed as John Doe since the identities of the posters were unknown in February when the suit was filed in Jefferson County.
In addition, the district’s new chief financial officer, John Brazeal, said he has discovered possible fraud and financial improprieties, and as a result, the state Auditor’s Office has agreed to audit the district.
A representative from the Auditor’s Office is scheduled to present information about the impending audit at the next school board meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Fox C-6 Service Center, 849 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold.
“In most (superintendent) searches, you don’t have this drama,” Underwood said.
He said the new superintendent will have a tough job.
“It’s likely this (turmoil in the district) gets uglier before it gets better,” Underwood said.
As of Tuesday, about 30 people had requested applications for the superintendent job and about half that number had applied, Underwood said, adding that he expects more applications to be submitted shortly before the deadline, which is Sept. 9.
Underwood said he will select the best six to 10 candidates from among those applicants for the school board to consider. After the school board members, and possibly Fox staff and residents, provide feedback about those candidates, the group will be narrowed to three or four. Then, the school board will interview those finalists before hiring one.
Underwood said the goal is to hire a new superintendent in mid-November, before the Thanksgiving break.
Underwood said he will use feedback from the public to help him narrow his search.
He already has surveyed the school board members about what they’re looking for in a superintendent, and he recently met with Fox principals and other administrators to get their input.
Underwood said those administrators are “frustrated,” and that meeting left him feeling “most burdened” to find a superintendent who can “excel” at the district.
In addition, a survey for Fox residents has been placed on the school district’s website for people to fill out.
Underwood said he will take those survey responses, as well as comments from the community forum, into consideration when conducting the superintendent search.
“We’ll compile it all so we have your voice,” he said.
The deadline to complete the survey is Sept. 10. To complete it, go to district’s website at fox.k12.mo.us and click on the survey link.