With Duane Morgan’s one-year term as interim principal expiring
and Mike Robustelli retiring as assistant superintendent, San
Benito High’s senior administration could undergo a makeover after
this school year.
With Duane Morgan’s one-year term as interim principal expiring and Mike Robustelli retiring as assistant superintendent, San Benito High’s senior administration could undergo a makeover after this school year.

Those two high-ranking positions are open as of this week.

As interim principal, Morgan must apply to be considered – he was appointed the first time around before the current school year. And the title of assistant superintendent has been changed to director of educational services, because added duties will include leading the special education program.

Recruitment for that administrative position will remain open until April 12, after which an interview process will ensue, according to District Superintendent Jean Burns Slater. She hopes to get a school board approval by May 12.

For the principal job, recruitment is open an extra week. Slater hopes to get board approval by May 26, she said.

About this time last year, Morgan was appointed as interim principal – before that he served as head of the counseling department. He confirmed Wednesday he would pursue the permanent principal role.

“I’ll prepare myself and get ready for all the interviews and the process,” Morgan said.

Slater said the district would evaluate all applicants equally. Though Morgan and other potential candidates now with the school, she said, have “more incite into the district and the community and the needs of the school.”

Whether she hopes Morgan applies, she said, “Oh, I do hope so.”

Qualifications for the principal job include five years teaching and three years in an administrative role, Slater said.

The pay scale is $90,000 to $102,000 for a 220-day work year, according to Human Resources Director Evelyn Muro.

The director of educational services job requires five years teaching and two years in an administrative capacity. Its pay scale is $88,000 to $99,000 for the same work year.

Robustelli is retiring this year after 34 years in the district – as a teacher, coach and assistant superintendent the past four years.

Despite the position’s change in title, he said there likely won’t be much change – for whoever succeeds him – from this year to next. He has taken on duties of special education director this year since the job went unfilled after the former director retired in June 2003.

Aside from some minor changes to the job duties, he said, “For all intensive purposes, it’s identical.”

As for retirement plans? “What do retirees do? I’m going to start working on that at the end of June.”

Once the two positions are filled, Slater said, a revamp, what she called a “series of transitions” to the district’s organizational structure, will be mostly complete.

Although she indicated “quite a few” senior employees plan to retire in the next couple years, meaning the faces in top roles would likely change.

Aside from principal and director of educational services, there are four positions directly under the superintendent in seniority: finance director, human resources director and coordinator of alternative educational programs, according to the official organizational chart.

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A staff member wrote, edited or posted this article, which may include information provided by one or more third parties.

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