Column: MCCSC school board should re-evaluate selection process for new superintendent

As the 2023-24 academic year draws to a close, and Monroe County Community School Corp. Superintendent Jeff Hauswald gradually approaches the conclusion of his involvement with the district after a turbulent tenure, the MCCSC Board of Trustees has an opportunity to rewind, collect themselves, and very carefully consider their next steps regarding the introduction of a new superintendent.

Currently, due to widely-opposed attempts to introduce controversial changes within the district, including the high school schedule change , elementary school combinations , and bus/school start time change (which eventually succeeded), the MCCSC school board is experiencing immense backlash from the community.

Although the significant majority of the opposed changes were initially proposed by superintendent Hauswald, much of the board remained in support of Hauswald’s plans; thus, causing a greater uproar from students and parents alike. Even throughout times in which the majority of board members actively opposed certain decisions from Hauswald, they faced scrutiny for simply continuing to sponsor and solidify the superintendent’s position after what many perceived as his blatant disregard for the wants and needs of the community.

Previous mistakes made by the Board of Trustees mustn’t reoccur. If the main figure of authority within the school district cannot be directly elected by the community, the decision-making Board of Trustees members must consider every single detail about a potential candidate, including previous decisions made for a school district, general practices during a past time in office, and how these realities will directly benefit the MCCSC community.

During Hauswald’s hiring process in 2021, Ron Barnes of BWP Associates stated that “surveys were completed by the community to develop a list of characteristics and qualifications that the board used in selecting their new superintendent from a strong pool of candidates.” Considering these circumstances, and the fact that Hauswald’s run as superintendent failed to benefit the community, many more advancements apart from simple community surveys must be implemented when considering a superintendent candidate.

The Board of Trustees previously failed to select a superintendent who represented the values of the Bloomington community, thus disproving one school board member’s statement that Hauswald’s ideas would “contribute to a better and more equitable learning environment for [MCCSC] students.”

Additionally, within any future superintendent’s term, the Board of Trustees must hold the officeholder accountable for all actions and statements — or lack thereof. Throughout his term as superintendent, Hauswald made statements that failed to align with his future actions. For example, Hauswald stated that one main reason for his proposed and initially confirmed schedule change revolved around “equity,” which by definition would provide all parties (MCCSC students in this case) with “fairness” and “impartiality” in regards to the scheduling situation.

Instead, the reality of the schedule change situation was that Hauswald proposed to implement an “equal” schedule amongst MCCSC schools — which was directly opposed by the majority of students and teachers, and failed to benefit community interests. Moreover, within an October school board meeting, Hauswald stated that conversations and considerations regarding a potential high school schedule change began in March 2023, while later stating that plans began in early 2022. Additionally, the school board failed to provide data regarding the schedule change situation, including statistics and survey results, until the board agreed upon any change.

Administrative lies are unacceptable, and should not be tolerated by those who hold power within the community. As the board leaves the past behind, and decides upon MCCSC’s new superintendent, major reevaluations of the selection process — and the accountability of all involved — must occur. For themselves, and more importantly, for the community.

Siddhu McLeod is a student at Bloomington High School South and a resident of Bloomington.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Column: MCCSC school board should re-evaluate selection process for new superintendent