Newark Unified board hires Leadership Associates to run superintendent search

The Newark Unified School district board voted to hire Leadership Associates to conduct the district's superintendent search following presentations from two finalist firms and a period of board deliberation.

Board members heard from Leadership Associates and McPherson Jacobson in a Saturday session. Leadership Associates' Dr. Jackie Horch said the firm would customize a four‑phase search process (initial meeting, stakeholder input, recruitment and vetting, finalist interviews) and provide the board full access to candidate materials. "This is your search, and we're going to customize it to what you want to do," Dr. Horch said.

The selection discussion centered on differences in background and reference vetting, stakeholder engagement and how much of the work would be performed by firm partners versus contract consultants. Member Block praised Leadership Associates' California experience and its willingness to conduct broad stakeholder outreach without a fixed limit, while other members said McPherson Jacobson described deeper criminal and financial checks.

Mrs. Parks, a former stakeholder‑panel participant, told the board she had been given little time to review candidate materials in a prior McPherson Jacobson‑facilitated process and said it felt "funneled in a certain way," a public comment several board members cited during deliberations.

After discussion, Member Hill moved to appoint Leadership Associates; Member Aguayano seconded. The chair announced the appointment was affirmed; the exact roll‑call tally was not read into the record.

Following the vote, the superintendent and staff were directed to prepare contract documents and work with the selected firm to finalize timelines and next steps. The board discussed using a third‑party vendor for criminal background checks when Leadership Associates indicated it does not perform criminal checks as part of its standard package. The superintendent noted the district has access to a vendor for background checks and said staff would incorporate that step into the contract process if the board desired.

The board adjourned the search‑firm portion of the meeting to resume discussion of facilities and district asset strategy.

The appointment will move forward with contract preparation; staff will return with contract details and any supplemental background‑check arrangements.