The Bellevue School Board faces a difficult task: How to get a new superintendent worthy of the district while starting its search late in the game.

Former Supt. Amalia Cudeiro told the board earlier this year that she would not seek renewal of her contract. She had been on leave for several months dealing with illnesses in her family.

That news and decision by Cudeiro, while understandable, puts the district in a bind. High performing school districts such as Bellevue have been in the hunt for a new superintendent for months now.  The district needs to act quickly or face delaying a decision for another year.

Assistant superintendent Eva Collins has been filling in admirably in an interim role, but has notified the board that she isn’t a candidate for the superintendent position, wanting instead to return to the assistant superintendent role.

Faced with such a situation, the board has reacted quickly and smartly. It scheduled community meetings last week and this to hear what parents, teachers and others in the community say they want and need in a new superintendent. The board also is soliciting comments via email for those unable to make one of the four districtwide meetings. It also has advertised the open position in education journals.

As a result, the board could be in a position to act quickly and still meet the district’s needs.

One candidate, Susan Enfield, made her interest known shortly after Cudeiro announced her resignation from the district. Enfield is serving this year as interim superintendent in the Seattle School District, where she has received good marks from various sources.

Even more interesting is that Enfield was Bellevue’s No. 2 choice when the board picked Cudeiro.

Does this make Enfield a slam-dunk for the job? Not necessarily. The board has made it clear that it wants an open, public process, however long it takes to find a new superintendent.

The four meetings have made it clear that there is no lack of opinions on what talents and traits a new superintendent should have.

Teachers, not surprisingly, want someone with a good track record working with staff. Parents have noted the district’s growing diversity and want someone who understands the socio-economic makeup of the district and its increasing diversity.

While such thoughts and advice are worthwhile and worth noting, the bottom line is that the school board that must make the decision based on criteria that it – and only it – finds relevant.

If the board finds it has a candidate who is a good fit for Bellevue’s next superintendent, it doesn’t have to artificially wait for any period of time before it acts.

We feel the school board is up to the task, however difficult it may seem. What’s important is who is picked, not how long – or short – the task takes.

– Craig Groshart, Bellevue Reporter