Board of Education President Sam Trusty presented this statement at the November 18th Board of Education meeting regarding our Interim Superintendent:
At the last board meeting, we shared that Dr. Bolandi was forced to resign as Interim Superintendent due to a health condition. Not because he doesn’t want to be here and isn’t fully committed to putting the district on a path to success and finding a permanent superintendent, but he has nerve damage in his leg that has rendered him unable to drive. It was because he is fully committed to us and to improving our schools that he felt he had to resign. As we all have come to learn about Dr. Bolandi, he is a hands-on guy that wants to roll up his sleeves every day and make things better for our kids and it was killing him to not be here every day. This is what lead to him saying to the board that he should step aside.
After that announcement, the Board received a tremendous, actually unprecedented, amount of support from the teachers, staff, parents, and community to find a way for him to stay on in some capacity or through some means as Interim Superintendent until we can find a permanent superintendent and continue us on the positive course that he has brought us in. Also, none of us on the board want to disrupt the positive strides we have taken since Dr. Bolandi has been in our district. Our feelings were unanimous as well. It was unprecedented the positive feedback and support that we received from our teachers and staff on asking us to find alternatives for him to stay in some capacity. They were excited about the direction he was taking them with his leadership. It would set our District back again to disrupt these positive gains.
The Board, in collaboration with Dr. Bolandi, has a plan while Dr. Bolandi continues to consult with his doctors and to get physical therapy to improve his condition. The resolution tonight will appoint Dr. Sifuentes as Acting Assistant Superintendent from her current position as Director of Human Resources. She will be the in-person, on the ground Assistant Superintendent while Dr. Bolandi continues to work remotely. She will be the on-ground administrator to handle the day-to-day things that need personal, in-person and immediate attention. Dr. Bolandi will continue to oversee all administrative operations, provide direction and guidance for the Acting Assistant Superintendent, and will continue to meet with all staff, parents, students, community, and administration as he has been doing until such time that he can return to in-person responsibilities, or the Board can find a permanent superintendent. Dr. Bolandi has also agreed at no extra cost to the district to assist the Board with conducting a comprehensive search for a permanent superintendent of the quality and caliber that this District and the students of this District deserve and will continue us on this path to improving things.
Upon the return of Dr Bolandi or the hiring of a permanent superintendent, Ms. Sifuentes will return to her position as Director of Human Resources. As I said, it was unprecedented the reaction that I and the rest of the Board received when they learned Dr. Bolandi was leaving. We listened to all of you (and our board members) and we asked him to find a way to continue and this is our plan tonight.
Thank you all and thank you for all your input. We are extremely happy that we can keep Dr. Bolandi with us until he can either overcome this current health situation or we can find a permanent superintendent, which we will also be starting the process for that simultaneously and without any delay.