JANESVILLE Janesville School District Superintendent Mark Holzman is retiring at the end of the school year, the district announced late Friday.
The district is not wasting time filling the position with a future superintendent following Friday's announcement, and it's not telling the public much, either, leading up to a quick-trigger announcement; The board could name the next superintendent as early as Tuesday.
The district said in an announcement sent out late Friday afternoon that the district intends to introduce its next superintendent as early as this Tuesday but otherwise gave few other details other than to say district officials already had apparently discussed the matter to a degree that the district had already settled on a "succession plan."
There has been no public word on whatever process the district used to reach its plans to bring in a new superintendent following Holzman's hire.
The 69蹤獲 left messages seeking further comment and more clarity on the district's decision making process at the district's offices late Friday afternoon.
The district held a closed session on July 14; Aug. 11; Aug. 25; and Sept. 8; all to discuss an undisclosed personnel matter related to considering employment, compensation, or performance evaluation data of a district employee. It's not clear if those closed sessions pertained to Holzman's plans or his replacement next year, or if they pertained to other district employees.
The district did not say in its announcement on Friday exactly what processes the district used to decide on a hire for Holzman's replacement, and it's not clear how long the board has been discussing the matter.
The district said in the announcement that it had established a "succession plan" for Holzman's departure, but otherwise gave no explanation about when planning for Holzman's departure began.
The district has not given a timeline of when the board became aware Holzman intends to retire, and when the district began making any moves toward
The district did not shed light Friday on whether the board ran any kind of an external search, or if it ran interviews, or handled the replacement internally without any formal process.
Holzman took the helm as superintendent in 2022 after five years in the same position in the Manitowoc School District.
School Board President Lisa Hurda said in a news release that Holzman guided the district with extraordinary vision, dedication and heart.
"Under his exceptional leadership, our schools have seen remarkable progress. His unwavering commitment to our educational community has set a high standard, leaving a lasting legacy that will positively impact our district for years to come," Hurda said.
The 69蹤獲 attempted to reach Hurda by phone on Friday evening, leaving her a voice mail a message seeking clarity and specifics on the district and the board's process for selecting a new superintendent.
Hurda did not immediately respond Friday evening.
The school board's meeting agenda for Tuesday has a closed session for discussion of district personnel; it also has an action item slated at the meeting Tuesday in open session to "consider a recommendation of superintendent."
The district has provided no further information on that agenda item.
Holzman will finish the current school year as the district is in the midst of trying to float a four-year, $98 million operating referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot.
That's as the district is launching into a slew of school building upgrades, and it's trying to decide the future of the flooded-out, shuttered Washington Elementary School.
The announcement of Holzman's retirement and the sudden naming of his successor comes amid the Janesville Education Association's works through bargaining with the district an item also slated for a closed session discussion on Tuesday.