What next for Manatee schools after Diana Greene's departure? Answers may come Tuesday

On Tuesday afternoon, for the first time since Manatee Superintendent Diana Greene was chosen to lead Duval County Public Schools, the Manatee County School Board will discuss its search for a new superintendent.

Board Chair Scott Hopes said he will meet with Greene at 10 a.m. to get her input on the process. Board members will then offer their suggestions at a public workshop, scheduled for 2 p.m. at 215 Manatee Ave. West.

Tuesday's discussion, Hopes said, marks the start of a pivotal decision for the district's future.

"I believe the district is in a place right now where, if we have the right superintendent and the right organizational structure, we can put someone in place that can truly be here and focus for at least five years, and get us to that A-district status, and get us as close as possible to No. 1 in the state."

When former Superintendent Rick Mills announced his early retirement in April 2015, the school board appointed Greene as superintendent about a month later.

However, Greene served as a deputy superintendent and was already considered a strong candidate for the position. She placed second behind Mills in the previous search for a superintendent, and Greene was also on a short list for superintendent positions in Florida and South Carolina when Mills retired.

Greene will soon head the school district in Duval, where an interim superintendent was in place for about a year. The position opened after Duval's former superintendent, Nikolai Vitti, left to lead schools in Detroit, where the search for a superintendent lasted more than a year.

Board member Charlie Kennedy said he believes the search in Manatee County will take four to eight months. He also said the search should begin after November, when the new board is seated. Kennedy is up for re-election in August, as are Hopes and board member John Colon.

"I don't think I should have any say in the search if I'm not going to be on the board to work with the superintendent," he said.

The first step will be to identify an interim superintendent, Kennedy said, adding that Deputy Superintendent Cynthia Saunders would be a good candidate.

Regardless of the process, Hopes said he wants board members and other school officials to imagine where the district could be in five years. Then, he said, the board can decide who fits that vision.

Hopes expressed interest in Duval County's method. The school district hired a management firm to research what qualities a superintendent should possess, and it hired another firm to search for candidates.

The district held a community meetings to get input from "parents, residents and district stakeholders," its website states.

Kennedy said community input is the most important factor when searching for a new superintendent. Whether it be in the form of surveys or meetings, he wants to hear from Manatee residents and district employees.

"This will be a decision of the five board members, but the five members represent our teachers and staff, and our greater community, so we should be representative of that view," he said.

This story was originally published May 21, 2018 at 5:14 PM with the headline "What next for Manatee schools after Diana Greene's departure? Answers may come Tuesday."