Board hires curriculum director after heated discussion; one trustee votes no citing candidate’s prior controversy

Superintendent Mark Stanton presented Dr. Robert Winton as the district’s recommended curriculum director following a multi-stage search process. Stanton described a broad candidate pool (27 viable applicants), multiple interview rounds (eight interviewed, four semifinalists), unanimous committee recommendation and positive reference checks. He highlighted Dr. Winton’s leadership at other districts, a doctorate in education focused on school safety, and recognition by professional organizations.

Dr. Winton spoke briefly and thanked the board; he described a family background in education and said he looks forward to working with Buckeye’s staff.

During the consent-agenda consideration that included personnel actions, one board member (identified in the transcript as Mrs. Cilich) publicly opposed the candidate. She said she had sought an executive session to discuss concerns, described apparent turnover among teachers at Dr. Winton’s prior district (Rocky River) in 2021–23, referenced media reports about staff texting of inappropriate images, and stated she understood Dr. Winton is actively suing his former board for breach of contract. She said those factors led her to vote 'no' on the consent agenda.

Superintendent Stanton and other trustees responded that the district ran a thorough, committee-based hiring process and that committee references were uniformly positive. The board proceeded with a roll-call vote on the consent agenda that included personnel actions; the motion passed on a 4–1 vote with Mrs. Cilich recorded as 'no.'

Why it matters: Hiring a curriculum director affects district academic strategy at a time the district is planning a new high school and considering curricular adoption; public disagreement among trustees about the candidate’s past employment raises governance and transparency questions and may shape community reaction.

What’s next: Personnel approvals took effect following the vote; the board and superintendent said they will continue standard public reporting and follow established personnel processes. The dissenting trustee signaled she may seek additional review or discussion of the candidate’s record.