Board moves to engage third-party evaluator and appoints interim superintendent

The Fountain Hills Unified School Board voted to engage a third-party evaluator and to appoint an interim superintendent to manage daily operations while the review is completed.

A board member told colleagues the evaluator recommended by the district attorney is Jennifer McGlenn and recommended the board turn over copies of emails it had received as of Jan. 14 for the evaluator's review. The evaluator would follow up with interviews; individuals could decline to be interviewed, the member said.

The board discussed the time period the evaluator should review. Several members said email volume rose around Jan. 7 and suggested focusing on a limited window to keep the review targeted. Other members urged including resignation letters submitted since July 15 and centering the review on concerns that led to an executive session on Dec. 8.

Board members addressed confidentiality concerns. One member said the board could not guarantee that emails sent to board members would remain private and warned that, if litigation arose, emails in the board's possession could become discoverable evidence. "We can't guarantee confidentiality when things are emailed to us because we are public officials," a board member said during the discussion.

On the action item, a board member moved to contract with Dr. Patrick Sweeney as interim superintendent, with a proposed start date of Jan. 19 (or in February) and a possible end date of June 30. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The board described the interim superintendent's role as handling day-to-day operations and personnel matters, not as making substantive changes to prior decisions.

Members also discussed logistics for the evaluator's work, including the need for a district point of contact to gather resignation letters, emails and scheduling information. Board members expressed concern about asking district staff to serve as a liaison if that could create discomfort or perceived bias; they agreed to firm up the liaison arrangement in a follow-up meeting after consulting the evaluator.

The board scheduled a special follow-up meeting for Thursday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. to set priorities for the interim superintendent and finalize directions for the evaluator. The meeting then adjourned.

The vote approving the interim appointment and the decision to engage the evaluator was recorded as a voice vote with "motion carries"; no roll-call tally was entered into the public discussion.