Bandon SD 54 board places superintendent on paid leave during investigation, names Sabrina Belletti Smith acting superintendent

The Bandon SD 54 school board voted unanimously June 4 to place Superintendent Shauna on paid administrative leave while a complaint investigation proceeds and to name Sabrina Belletti Smith as the district’s acting superintendent.

Board members moved to place the superintendent on leave for the duration of the investigation or until the superintendent’s contract ends on June 30. A board member read a prepared statement saying the leave is intended “to ensure that there is no interference with the investigation and no retaliation against participants in the investigation,” and that the action was “not intended to be punitive” but to protect the integrity of the process.

The board discussed timing, noting the investigation could finish in a couple of weeks but might extend into July if it continues while the superintendent is scheduled to be out of the country. The motion to place the superintendent on paid administrative leave passed unanimously; the board said the leave would take effect the next day and that it would consult the board attorney about next steps.

On the related agenda item, the board unanimously designated Sabrina Belletti Smith as the acting superintendent during Shauna’s absence. Members said Belletti Smith offered her services and would begin meeting with school staff to introduce herself; the board discussed plans to have her visit schools starting the following day.

The board took both actions in a short special session that included an amendment to the agenda to add the designee item. The meeting adjourned at about 5:54 p.m.

Actions taken at the June 4 special session are procedural and internal personnel decisions; no disciplinary finding or final determination about the underlying complaint was announced at the meeting.