Setting stage for superintendent

Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006 | 11 a.m.

The marriage with a new superintendent has yet to occur, but the Clark County School Board already is considering counseling.

At today's meeting, the School Board will consider a $100,000 contract with Aspen Group International -- a leadership development company based in Castle Rock, Colo. -- to provide a year's worth of transition services and training in policy governance.

Under policy governance, a management model that the School Board has followed for about five years, the superintendent operates like the chief executive of a corporation. The School Board members represent the community "shareholders," avoiding micro-managing while setting goals for the superintendent.

Aspen Group consultants have visited the district in the past to conduct training workshops. Several School Board members also have attended the company's conferences. Members Shirley Barber and Larry Mason used their offices' normal travel budget to take part in a workshop last spring in South Carolina. And Mason visited Vail in October -- a trip funded by a private grant -- where Aspen officials first pitched their latest proposal.

Since 2001 the district has paid Aspen $28,338 for consulting services, according to the district's business office. Of those payments, all but $600 was covered by grants.

But the $100,000 being sought by the consultants this time would come from the district's general fund, a sticking point for several School Board members.

"A hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money," School Board member Susan Brager-Wellman said. "We might be better off for the first two or three months letting the person get their bearings. Bringing in consultants may turn into detours."

The newest member of the School Board, Terri Janison, said she has received "more than adequate" training and tutoring from district staff in policy governance since being appointed to the District E seat in October.

"My initial reaction (to the proposed hiring of the consultants) is that we can handle it," Janison said.

But Mason, whose one-year term as School Board president ended last week, said he realized during his tenure that he and his colleagues would benefit from "continuing education" in policy governance. In addition, the initial interaction between the School Board and the superintendent often sets the tone for the relationship, Mason said.

"If you start out with everyone working together, it's a lot easier to keep going than to try and go back and make up ground," he said.

Mason said he will recommend that the district seek a grant to help offset the Aspen Group contract's cost. He also questions whether a year-long contract is necessary.

"It's going to depend a great deal on who (of the superintendent candidates) we get in here," Mason said. "Maybe he'll need a month, maybe he'll need a week."

Erik Herzik, a political science professor at UNR, said the School Board is wise to consider outside help.

"It's very important to the School Board to have a smooth start with the new superintendent," Herzik said. "And it's absolutely critical to someone (the new superintendent) coming in from the outside."

An independent consultant might offer a clearer view of the School Board's strengths and weaknesses and also lay a foundation for open lines of communication, Herzik said.

Compared to the district's operating budget of $1.8 billion, the $100,000 price tag for the consultants is not unreasonable, Herzik said.

"Even if you consider the $100,000 in relation to what they'll be paying this superintendent over five years, which is probably going to be the length of the contract, it could be an invaluable investment," Herzik said.

Emily Richmond can be reached at 259-8829 or at emily@lasvegassun.com.