Board approves contract offer to Kane Jagadinsky as superintendent for 2022–23

The Fountain Hills Unified School board moved to offer and approve a contract to Kane Jagadinsky to serve as superintendent for the 2022–2023 school year after a brief discussion about the hiring process and the candidate's prior standing in an earlier search.

Board members said the candidate had been through the full application process in the 2020–21 search and was a finalist. "It's not as though this candidate is just coming out of the blue and didn't go through all of the process and procedure that we would typically have in place," said Speaker 4, who introduced the item and led the meeting. Speaker 3 added that the candidate "not only was he in agreement, he, had ideas above and beyond what we had in my mind," and expressed support for a smooth transition from the interim superintendent.

Some board members acknowledged community concern about not convening a hiring committee. "There is no policy that says we have to host a committee," said Speaker 5, who noted the board had consulted legal counsel and been advised "there is no law that says we have to host a committee." Speaker 5 emphasized that the superintendent "works solely for the board." The board framed its decision as within its authority and said timing constraints in April made a new, full search difficult; Speaker 2 said the board was "in a time crunch."

Speaker 4 moved that the board offer and approve a contract to Kane Jagadinsky; Speaker 5 seconded. The motion was approved by voice vote with no nay votes recorded. The board did not provide a roll-call tally in the meeting minutes recorded in the transcript.

The board announced a work-study session on April 27 at 5:00 p.m. and a regular board meeting on Tuesday, May 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Center and then adjourned.