Broward County School Board reopens superintendent search as new high-profile candidate emerges
Broward County, Florida – The Broward County School Board has decided to reopen the search for the district’s next superintendent after Dr. Jesus Jara, the current superintendent of the Clark County School District, expressed interest in the position.
Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, has the fifth-largest school system in the United States. Jara’s impressive resume and experience in managing a large district caught the attention of several board members, leading to the reopening of the application process.
Initially, the school board had planned to select finalist candidates during their Tuesday meeting, moving forward with background checks, interviews, and a vote on the new superintendent the following week. However, the board opted to extend the application deadline to May 16th to accommodate Jara and other potential applicants.
The updated search timeline is as follows:
- May 16: Application deadline
- May 22: School board meeting to select semifinalists
- May 26: Deadline for semifinalists to submit video statements
- May 30: School board meeting to select three semifinalists
- June 14: Finalists visit Broward County for meetings with stakeholders, principals, community groups, and one-on-one meetings with board members
- June 15: School board meeting to select superintendent
Previously, the district had received 26 applications by the initial deadline, with only 15 deemed qualified and six recommended to move forward. Some board members criticized the initial applicant pool as lacking strong candidates. Broward County’s next leader is expected to be an innovative and transformative figure from outside the county, bringing a fresh perspective to the sixth-largest school district in the nation.
.@lorialhadeff withdraws this idea. New proposal is to open applications to May 16 and choose finalists (or maybe semifinalists) on May 22. https://t.co/Iuhml0emt9
— Scott Travis (@smtravis) May 9, 2023
