Dr. Gil Mendoza will leave his position as Sumner School District Superintendent June 30, according to an email he sent out to all district staff Tuesday. The content of the email was confirmed at the Wednesday board of directors meeting when a mutual separation agreement was introduced as new business.

Board director Greg Hanon introduced the motion to execute the separation of the board and Mendoza, which was seconded by Jeff DeMarre. The board voted 4-1 to execute the separation, Rick Hendricks being the only board director to vote against the motion.

Before the vote, six of the ten people signed up for public comment spoke in support of Mendoza’s tenure as superintendent for the district, including two district students.

Parent Melissa Russell spoke on Mendoza’s direct involvement with students. Steve Marks of B Natural Music said Mendoza encouraged academic excellence. Nestor Fernandez cited Mendoza’s visibility at school events of all kinds.

Removing Mendoza didn’t make sense as a business model, said Richard Moczygemba, himself a business owner. He went on to compare the decision to removing the Chief Executive Officer from a company that was doing well under his watch.

“The word resignation was used,” Mendoza said in an interview after the meeting. “But I should note it’s not actually a resignation. The board and I both agreed to separate.”

The email Mendoza sent to district staff Tuesday was brief:

Dear District Staff:

I send this email to inform you that June 30 will be my last day as your superintendent. The School Board and I have reached a point where our views on critical issues in leadership are not aligned. As such we have agreed to a mutual separation.

I want to thank you for your support, untiring efforts on behalf of our students and families, and for everything I have been blessed to learn from you. Sumner is a great place to learn! We have wonderful communities that support our work. We have made great progress toward learning for all. I urge you to continue your commitment to our primary mission of student learning. Take care of yourself, each other and those we serve. Blessings.

gil

“I emailed all staff (Tuesday) night,” Mendoza said. “I didn’t send it out in waves or send it to a few people first. I thought everyone

He did not offer further explanation of where his and the board’s views on leadership were not aligned other than to say: “if you looked at the agendas, there were a lot of executive sessions scheduled” that dealt with the separation process.

“All I can say is the board and I reached a mutual agreement for separation,” he said before the meeting.

Meeting comment by board director Mike Pavlik gave clues to the lead-up to the separation, calling it a “long process.” He referred to a series of perception surveys, job evaluations and discussions during executive session in the lead-up to the separation.

Board director Hendricks, prior to the vote, cited a number of positive trends during Mendoza’s tenure, including responses to intervention (RTI), professional learning communities, rising graduation rates, and higher student achievement while operating on a deficit budget.

When asked about his plans for the future, Mendoza said he had not decided yet.

“I’m going to talk with my family and figure out what I might do after this,” he said. “I have options, but I haven’t decided where I’ll go yet.”