We Have an Exciting Opportunity in Beaumont Unified

Tomorrow, Tuesday - September 18, the Beaumont Unified School Board will be holding a special board meeting. The only item on the agenda addresses two administrative positions, Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Business Services. There are no details about what action the board is considering for these two positions but it is most likely they will be announcing Dr. Kayrell's replacement. They will hold a closed session to act on the agenda item and then a brief open session to announce what action they take in the closed session. 

The board has two options. They could hire an interim superintendent and leave the long term decision for the new board, or they could hire Dr. Kayrell's permanent replacement.  I believe requiring a new board to work with someone else’s choice for superintendent would be a mistake. The board has the authority to take either path but I hope they understand the unique opportunity Dr. Kayrell's exit has provided our community.

Regardless of your opinion of Dr. Kayrell's legacy, his departure leaves a leadership vacuum in our district that will present an opportunity for a new board to take a different direction. The current board members who have been guided by Dr. Kayrell’s leadership for the last couple years now have to rely on their own leadership skills. The decision to hire an interim or permanent replacement will be their first test; I hope they decide to enable the new board to determine their own direction, a new direction if they want.

Parents, working with teachers and classified staff, are in a position to affect real positive change in our community, something we are unable to do at the state or federal level. It is a fact of life for a small school district that administrators come and go as they move on to higher paying positions in larger school districts. But the parents, teachers, and staff in Beaumont Unified aren’t going anywhere and we need to make sure we have a board that selects administrators that prioritize building something special in Beaumont ahead of building their resumes.

The opportunity for a new direction increases the importance of the election of two new board members. We need leaders on our school board. We need board members who recognize the opportunity for a new direction, establish a mission to take advantage of the opportunity, and then lead an administration to carry out the mission. I will be that kind of a board member. I want to build something special in Beaumont. I need your vote.  

For more information, visit www.LloydWhite4SchoolBoard.com