Former New Haven
Superintendent Pat Jaurequi
Courier Photo
Acting swiftly to maintain continuity, the New Haven Unified School District Board of Education will hold a special meeting tonight to appoint an Interim Superintendent to replace Dr. Pat Jaurequi, who has accepted an offer to become superintendent in another district.
“Certainly, we didn’t want to lose Dr. Jaurequi, but an interim superintendent – and we have excellent candidates within the District – will enable us to continue to move forward along the road we’ve traveled in the past few years, even as we begin the process of finding a new, permanent superintendent,” Board President Kevin Harper said.
The Board, which met in closed session Tuesday night to discuss Dr. Jaurequi’s departure, will meet at 7:30 tonight to appoint her interim replacement and to hire a search firm to find a new superintendent. The Board also will decide whether to begin the search immediately or to wait until spring, when the pool of candidates for such vacancies usually is deeper.
“Either way, we will find the right fit, not simply rush into a decision,” Mr. Harper said. “Dr. Jaurequi has laid a solid foundation here in the past four years and we want to find the right person to build on that.”
Dr. Jaurequi has served as Superintendent since October, 25, 2004.
“Serving the New Haven community has been a privilege and a pleasure, and I think we’ve done some extraordinary work together,” said Dr. Jaurequi, under whose leadership New Haven has drawn wide attention for its efforts to meet the twin challenges of declining enrollment and increased emphasis on student achievement.
“I would have been happy and excited to finish my career here. I wasn’t looking to leave,” she said. “But this is a unique opportunity, both personally and professionally, that I feel is best for my family.”
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