Position Title: Superintendent

Salary: Competitive and Negotiable

Closing Date: May 9, 2008

Downloads:

• Job Application
• Job Brochure

The Position

The Board of Trustees of the Plumas Unified School District is seeking an educational leader who will provide energetic leadership for all aspects of district programs. The individual must be a leader who has the ability to establish an atmosphere of integrity, honesty and trust. The ideal candidate would be willing to become an integral part of the community and unify all segments of the school district to focus on high academic achievement for all students. The district’s five member school board is strongly committed to working as a collaborative governance team with its superintendent.

The Community

The Plumas Unified School District covers almost all of Plumas County. Plumas County is located in northeastern California, where the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges meet. The county extends from the community of Chester in the north, which sits on the shores of beautiful Lake Almanor, to Portola in the east. For those who enjoy the outdoors, the county boasts more than 100 lakes, 1,000 miles of rivers and streams and over a million acres of national forest. Plumas County is recognized for its outstanding fishing, camping, water sports, golf and other recreational activities. Compared to other areas of the state, housing costs are relatively low. The winters are mild for the Sierra. With only 8 people per square mile, this rural, four season, mountainous area offers beauty, solitude, clean air and a wonderful place to work and raise a family.

The District

The Plumas Unified School District encompasses about the same amount of area as the state of Delaware. The district spans 80 miles, from Chester High School in the north, to Portola High School on the eastern boundary. There are 13 schools and four well-defined high school communities. Each community — Chester, Greenville, Quincy and Portola — has a clearly defined personality and identity that makes it unique. The school district serves approximately 2,400 students. The district’s enrollment has been declining over the past several years. The student population is approximately 75 percent Caucasian, 13 percent Hispanic, 7 percent American Indian, 2 percent African-American, and other ethnic groups each represent less than 1 percent.

The school district is the largest employer in the county with approximately 250 employees — 130 certificated and 120 classified. The Plumas County and District Office is located in Quincy, which is 75 miles from Chico, California, and an easy 75 mile drive to Reno, Nevada to the east. The outgoing superintendent is retiring after 5 years in the position.

The district is a basic aid district with a budget of twenty-six million dollars. The three budget priorities are early intervention and student support, staff development and curriculum development.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria represent standards to be used in the evaluation of applications and in the selection of the superintendent.

Professional Experience and Preparation

• Teaching experience desirable
• Master’s degree or equivalent desirable
• Site level and/or district level administrative experience desirable

Personal Characteristics
The Board of Trustees is seeking a person who is:

• accessible and approachable with a sense of humor
• ethical, honest, sincere and has unquestioned integrity
• is energetic, innovative, well-organized and follows through; a role model with high expectations for self and others
• a confident, caring person with effective communication skills
• a people person with strong public and human relations skills
• able to listen and be open to new ideas and divergent opinions

Professional Skills and Abilities
The Board of Trustees is seeking a person who:

• will be philosophically compatible with the board
• is willing to commit to the district mission
• has problem-solving skills and the ability to anticipate and analyze major issues
• has strong facilitation, team building, and communication skills including listening, speaking, and writing
• will commit to the Quality Schools Concept
• is a strong leader who involves students, staff, parents, and the community in decision making, when appropriate
• sees to the effective use of the district’s limited financial resources and is attentive to budget supervision and preparation

Application Procedure

All applications will be held strictly confidential. Each applicant is requested to follow the procedures listed below. Those applicants wishing additional information should contact the CSBA adviser at (916) 669-3297. For duplication purposes, please do not bind application materials.

Applications are to be sent to:
Plumas Unified School District
c/o Bill Murchison, Adviser
California School Boards Association, Executive Search Services
3100 Beacon Blvd., Suite Plumas
West Sacramento, CA 95691

All applicants must provide the following items by the closing date, May 9, 2008 (5:00 p.m.),
to be considered:

• A completed Application Information Form. (Please complete as instructed; do not complete by stating “see attached résumé”.) The Application Information Form and brochure may be downloaded via CSBA’s Web page at www.csba.org
• A personal letter of application stating reasons for interest in the Plumas Unified School District superintendent position
• A résumé providing biographical background information about educational preparation, experience and achievements
• A placement file and/or five (5) current letters of professional references describing the applicant’s performance in previously held positions

It is the applicant’s responsibility to arrange to have placement papers or reference letters forwarded in time to meet the May 9, 2008 (5:00 p.m.) deadline. Additional brochures may be requested by calling the CSBA 24-hour Brochure Request Line at (916) 669-3296.

Selection Procedure

A professional screening committee will evaluate the qualifications of each applicant. The board and the screening committee will use the described criteria during the screening, interviewing and final decision-making process. After receiving and studying the report of the screening committee, the board will select and interview the top candidates.

The board will select candidates for the final interviews, conduct the interviews and select the superintendent. Any applicant who contacts a board member with the intent of influencing the board’s decision will be disqualified.

Travel expenses for those candidates selected for the initial interview will be the responsibility of the candidate.

Salary and Contract Terms

The Plumas Unified School District’s governing board will offer a salary and benefit package which will be competitive and negotiable to the successful candidate, based on that individuals experience and qualifications. The board intends to offer a multi-year contract.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to provide the district with employment eligibility and verification of citizenship in compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act.

Board of Education