Cazenovia school district residents want their next superintendent to be experienced and inspirational, with integrity and strong leadership skills, according to the results of the recent community survey, which were discussed at the Nov. 20 board of education meeting by Jody Manning, OCM BOCES district superintendent, who is also heading of the Cazenovia CSD search for its next superintendent.

More than 250 residents of the Cazenovia school district completed the online survey, which was live from Sept. 25 to Nov. 13, and asked what qualities and characteristics they would like to have in the district’s next superintendent.

The survey was part of the school board’s search to replace Superintendent Bob Dubik, who plans to retire at the end of the 2013-14 school year.

The fact that 256 people took the survey was “a very impressive number for all the superintendent searches I’ve done,” Manning said. He said he was also impressed by the number of comments made at the end of the surveys, which “shows people have pride in their district.”

In the various survey categories, the top selections stated that respondents want the next superintendent to have experience as both teacher and principle, to be someone who inspires and motivates both students and staff, who has integrity and also experience with finance and budgets, and someone with strong leadership skills who will be visible and accessible to the staff, students and Cazenovia community.

Manning said that in addition to the various characteristic rankings, many of the survey respondents also wrote general comments at the bottom of the survey, which shows that people really took their time with the survey and wanted to help the school board in making its hiring decision.

The board will now look at the results and at Manning’s analysis of the results and take them into consideration as it continues the hiring process. The results will be posted on the school district website.

“This is the most important job a school board has — hiring a superintendent,” Manning said.

Dubik announced in June his intention to retire in 2014. In September, the school board voted to hire Manning as the superintendent search consultant — which he does for free as head of the OCM BOCES — versus hiring a private search firm.

The announcement that Cazenovia will hire a new superintendent was posted online and throughout the state in mid-October, and the deadline for the district to receive applications is Nov. 29. Once all the applications have been received, Manning and the school board will narrow the field to a group of finalists. Each finalist will spend an entire day in the district for a tour and for interviews in mid-February. The intention is to hire a candidate in March, Manning said.

Also at the meeting, the board:

—Approved an updated resolution concerning the proposed capital project that added a sentence to the previously passed resolution to allow the district to levy a tax on the taxable property of the school district to pay back the incurred debt of the project. This power to levy the tax is mandated by state law and inadvertently left out of the prior capital project resolution. Assistant Superintendent Bill Furlong reiterated to the board that there will be no additional tax impacts to district residents from the project.

—Announced public meeting, public vote and open house dates concerning the proposed capital project. Open houses will be at the middle school and high school at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, and at Burton Street Elementary School at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10. A public hearing on the proposed capital project will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, at the high school auditorium. The public vote on the capital project will be held between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6.

—Discussed some parents’ concerns about the district’s current schedule to hold some days off and half-days on Thursdays rather than on a Friday or Monday. Dubik said the district started the Thursday schedule about five years ago because they found it worked better in garnering “full participation” by district staff for those teacher work days. He said the district is currently working on its 2014-15 schedule and will “continue to look at” changing staff development days to Friday or Monday. For this 2013-14 year, however, the schedule is set, he said.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].