The Poway Unified School District selected its next superintendent on Thursday, five months after firing Superintendent Marian Kim Phelps following an investigation into bullying claims.
The district's Board of Education approved the appointment of Dr. Ben Churchill, who has been the superintendent of the Carlsbad Unified School District since 2016, according to Carlsbad Unified's website. Before that, he was the chief academic officer for a school district in Illinois. More of Churchill's previous roles include assistant superintendent, high school principal and high school teacher. Overall, he has 28 years of experience as an educator.
"Carlsbad is a hard district to leave, but the opportunity to step into the role here in Poway was something I couldn't turn down," Churchill said.
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His list of priorities includes getting to every school site in the first 3-6 months to get a sense of where the district is and where it's headed. His first priority, though, is regaining the trust of the administration.
"Building relationships and trust will absolutely be job one," Churchill said. "I think the best way for me to build that trust is to be present and visible."
Poway Unified terminated Phelps, Churchill's predecessor, on April 30 after the trustees' no-confidence vote. The Board's internal investigation determined Phelps interfered with a school's probe into allegations her daughter Jessica was bullied.
Jessica was a pitcher on Del Norte High's softball team. The former superintendent was accused of harassing fellow players and coaches for failing to clap loud enough for her daughter at the team banquet.
A nationwide search for a new superintendent began at the beginning of June. The district invited parents to participate in a survey on the district's website to determine what characteristics they wanted in a new leader.
Trustees say they interviewed 46 candidates for the position.
“In a field of exceptional candidates, Dr. Churchill’s extensive experience, approachable demeanor, and innovative vision for moving PUSD forward stood out. The Board wishes to thank our stakeholders for their valuable input into this process and invite everyone to join us in enthusiastically welcoming Dr. Churchill to Poway Unified,” PUSD Board President Michelle O’Connor-Ratcliff said in a news release.
Melinda Huntoon, a parent in the district, says she and other parents felt left out of the loop during the selection process.
"Being quite involved in a group that watches the school Board, I thought I would have a better idea, but I did not," Huntoon said. "I definitely feel a sense that there is hope that he was found outside the current Board members. Like I said, I don't think people have trust in them."
In February, the Board appointed Greg Mizel, the district's associate superintendent of student support services, to the interim superintendent position. He is expected to remain in the role until Dec. 2, when Churchill is slated to take over.
Transparent California, the watchdog group that tracks public pay and benefits, shows that Churchill's base salary in Carlsbad was $285,000. His new base salary will be $360,000, according to his new contract with Poway Unified.
