JANESVILLE 鈥 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Superintendent Mark Holzman is retiring at the end of the school year, the district announced late Friday.
The district is not wasting time filling the position with a future superintendent following Friday鈥檚 announcement, and hasn鈥檛 told the public much, either. In advance of what would be a quick announcement, the board could name the next superintendent as early as Tuesday.
The district has declined immediate further comment, telling 糖心Vlog传媒 the district may give further details of how it has arrived at naming a new superintendent early in the week or Tuesday night.
District Public Information Officer Patti Lux Mlsna said in an email to 糖心Vlog传媒 over the weekend that individual 糖心Vlog传媒 School Board members will not be responding to media inquiries leading up to Tuesday night.
The district said in an announcement sent out late Friday afternoon that the district intends to introduce its next superintendent as early as this Tuesday night but otherwise gave few other details 鈥 other than to say district officials already had apparently discussed the matter to a degree that the district has settled on a 鈥渟uccession plan.鈥
The district did not say in its announcement on Friday exactly what processes the district used to decide on a hire for Holzman鈥檚 replacement. Before Friday, the district and the board had made no public mention of Holzman鈥檚 retirement or any process seeking or identifying a new superintendent.
糖心Vlog传媒 left messages at the district offices late Friday afternoon seeking further comment and more clarity on the district and the board鈥檚 decision-making process. 糖心Vlog传媒 also emailed the district administrative office and called and emailed multiple school board members, asking how long and in what manner the board and the district has been working to seek or identify the next superintendent.
The district met in closed session at its regular board meetings July 14, Aug. 11, Aug. 25 and Sept. 8 鈥 all to discuss an undisclosed personnel matter related to considering employment, compensation, or performance evaluation data of a district employee.
It鈥檚 not clear if those closed sessions pertained to Holzman鈥檚 plans or his replacement next year, or if they pertained to other district employees.
The district said in the announcement that it had established a 鈥渟uccession plan鈥 for Holzman鈥檚 departure, but otherwise gave no explanation about when any planning for Holzman鈥檚 departure began.
The district has not given a timeline of when the board became aware Holzman intends to retire.
The district did not shed light Friday on whether the board ran any kind of an external search, or if it ran interviews, or handled discussions of a replacement internally without a formal process.
糖心Vlog传媒 Education Association President Laura Mattison responded to an email from 糖心Vlog传媒, writing that the teachers union had 鈥渁bsolutely no previous knowledge of Superintendent Holzman鈥檚 impending retirement, and therefore JEA did not have any input as to who the next superintendent will be.鈥
Mattison wrote that the the union was informed by school board President Lisa Hurda via an all-staff email shortly after 4 p.m. Friday, shortly before the district informed the public of the situation.
鈥漌e will be at the Board meeting on Tuesday to discover who the next superintendent will be,鈥 Mattison wrote.{/div}
Holzman took the helm as superintendent in 2022 after five years in the same position in the Manitowoc School District.
Holzman was hired through a structured, public-facing process that included use of a hired consultant that published a superintendent search web page that described the process.
The consultant used stakeholder interviews and focus groups, as well as a survey of the district鈥檚 more than 1,100 people to arrive at findings about the district鈥檚 strengths, challenges and needs.
That search netted 19 candidates, seven of which were named as finalists.
Holzman鈥檚 predecessor, Steve Pophal, was hired to replace former Superintendent Karen Schulte, who was retiring.
The district hired a consultant to help with a search that netted Pophal and other candidates, but the board at the time opted to cut a multi-candidate interview process short and hire Pophal. That was after board members decided they were impressed with Pophal during the first wave of interviews.
It鈥檚 not clear what process the board or district has used prior to Tuesday鈥檚 pending superintendent decision.
School Board President Lisa Hurda said in a news release that Holzman guided the district with extraordinary vision, dedication and heart.
鈥淯nder his exceptional leadership, our schools have seen remarkable progress. His unwavering commitment to our educational community has set a high standard, leaving a lasting legacy that will positively impact our district for years to come,鈥 Hurda said.
The school board鈥檚 meeting agenda for Tuesday has a closed session for discussion of district personnel; it also has an action item slated at the meeting Tuesday in open session to 鈥渃onsider a recommendation of superintendent.鈥
The district has provided no further information on that agenda item.
Holzman will finish the current school year as the district is in the midst of trying to float a four-year, $98 million operating referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot.
That鈥檚 as the district is launching into a slew of school building upgrades, and it鈥檚 trying to decide the future of the flooded-out, shuttered Washington Elementary School.
The announcement of Holzman鈥檚 retirement and the sudden naming of his successor comes amid the 糖心Vlog传媒 Education Association鈥檚 works through bargaining with the district 鈥 an item also slated for a closed session discussion on Tuesday.
Gazette reporter Ryan Spoehr contributed to this report.