By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
As was previously reported on The Banner, Whitewater Unified School District Superintendent Caroline Pate-Hefty has submitted her resignation effective June 30. There has been little community participation in the initial focus groups from which the Whitewater Unified School District School Board is seeking input as they pursue the search for a new district superintendent. Reportedly the initial in-person meeting on April 22, which was poorly advertised, was attended by only three persons. There were only nine participants in the Zoom meeting on April 24, during which, Scott Winch, a representative from the search firm, indicated that there were approximately 200 responses to a survey. He also stated that there have already been about 20 applicants for the position. Applications may be received through April 30. The first round of interviews will take place on May 12-13, with final interviews scheduled for May 22. Parents and community members will have an opportunity to meet and interact with the candidates on May 22 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Further information will be forthcoming.
Persons who may be unable to participate in one of the focus groups are welcome to submit comments to Winch at scottwinch@hyasearch.com.
The following was provided by WUSD.
WUSD Moves Forward with Superintendent Search
The Whitewater Unified School District School Board has engaged executive search
firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) to lead the search for the district’s next superintendent.
As part of the search process, HYA will facilitate a series of focus groups.
These sessions are designed to gather input from students, staff, families, community members, and local
organizations. The feedback collected will help shape the profile for the district’s next leader.
Below are the dates, times, and locations of the community sessions:
● Friday, April 25, 12:00-12:45 p.m. for Businesses, Civic Groups, Parents, and Community Members.
Virtual Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/91902953403?pwd=OBRWLQJn7fhON4gPdwKnZZnkKWxGuF.1
Meeting ID: 919 0295 3403 Passcode: 908035
● Wednesday, April 30, 6:00-6:45 p.m. for Businesses, Civic Groups, Parents, and Community
Members in-person at Whitewater High School Library, 534 S. Elizabeth Street, 2nd Floor,
Whitewater, WI
All focus groups will address the same set of questions, including:
● What are the strengths of the Whitewater Unified School District that the next superintendent can
build upon?
● What are the challenges facing the Whitewater Unified School District that the next superintendent
should be aware of, or that you would like to see addressed?
● What characteristics or traits are you looking for in your new superintendent?
● Is there anything else you would like to share with us regarding the Whitewater Unified School
District?
● HYA will be recruiting potential superintendent candidates for this position. Is there anyone that you
can think of who might be a good fit as your new superintendent that we should contact? If so,
please share or email us his/her name and contact information.
The school board and HYA will use the input gathered from these conversations to guide the
recruitment and selection of superintendent candidates in the coming weeks.
