Superintendent William Huyett won’t be leaving at the end of the month after all.
Having failed to find an ideal candidate, the Berkeley Board of Education voted Thursday to launch a broader search to find a replacement.
“The Board of Education is taking its responsibility of finding a good match for the District seriously,” board president John Selawsky says in a press statement. “The process of interviewing several candidates has already helped us to more clearly identify the kind of leader we are looking for.”
The board did not commit to a time line, but Selawsky said the panel expects to name a candidate “within the next few months.”
In a closed session meeting May 2, the board made a first cut of seven out of 57 applicants. Board members planned to interact with three finalists, with a goal of selecting a single replacement by month's end.
Huyett began his career in 1974 as a high school math and physics teacher in Elk Grove. He has served as schools chief for three districts, arriving in Berkeley in Febuary 2008.
He recently garnered praise for having targeted school attendance, bringing state money into the district and putting more students in seats, a vital step in closing the achievement gap.
The district serves 9,400 students in 11 elementary schools, three middle schools, one comprehensive high school, and one alternative high school. In addition, it operates three preschools and a popular adult school program.
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