The Jefferson County Board of Education has not revealed who members chose in a split vote Thursday night to be the next superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools, but surveys by the search firm and the teachers union show overwhelming community and staff support for finalist Ben Shuldiner.
More than 63% of teachers union members surveyed said they preferred Shuldiner as the next leader of the district, according to the results of a Jefferson County Teachers Association poll obtained by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.
About 9% of the 729 union respondents were in favor of finalist H. Brian Yearwood, and around 28% responded with “other.”
Feedback collected during and after public finalist forums this week showed community members also favored Shuldiner. In an analysis of 273 responses the search firm HYA collected by QR code, Shuldiner was the clear preference in all five categories. That’s according to a report obtained by KyCIR through the Kentucky Open Records Act.
That survey asked constituents to rate each candidate on a 1-4 scale in five categories, with 1 meaning “no experience” and 4 meaning “extensive experience.” Of the 147 respondents to the survey on Shuldiner, more than 87% gave him 3 or 4 ratings in each category.
Of the 126 respondents to the survey on H. Brian Yearwood, between 38% and 51% gave Yearwood 3 or 4 ratings, depending on the category.
Whoever board members chose Thursday, they were not in agreement. As reported by the Courier Journal, the board voted 5-2 to extend an offer to the unnamed candidate and begin contract negotiations. The no-votes were District 7 member Taylor Everett and District 5 member Linda Duncan.
The board aims to finalize contract negotiations and announce the district’s next leader before JCPS superintendent Marty Pollio retires at the end of June.
This story has been updated to clarify the headline.
