Report 2017-104 Recommendation 12 Responses

Report 2017-104: Montebello Unified School District: County Superintendent Intervention Is Necessary to Address Its Weak Financial Management and Governance (Release Date: November 2017)

Recommendation #12 To: Montebello Unified School District

In order to rebuild trust with its community, Montebello should adhere to its policies for hiring certificated personnel and fill any vacant positions for executives through a competitive hiring process, including advertising the positions, screening to ensure that minimum qualifications are met, and interviewing to ensure that it hires and retains the most qualified and talented leaders.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2023

Montebello Unified School District (aka 'District') adopts a standardized process in attracting, interviewing, vetting, and selecting qualified applicants using an online based application service managed by the San Joaquin County Office of Education called EdJoin (Edjoin.com). Edjoin is the standard by which the 58 counties in California post educational vacancy openings in a manner that is equitable, clear, and transparent in the expectations of individual applicants. This approach applies whether they be for executive level positions, or other certificated/classified non-administrative positions. Once a vacancy has been determined by the District, a posting is made on EdJoin that becomes available on the internet for any and all applicants who wish to apply within a given posted deadline of not less than one week, more typically 2-4 weeks, for a given position. The length of time is given based on the market saturation of applicants based on the applicant pool found within EdJoin for applicant submissions who make their applications available for LEA public review.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Montebello provided an example of a hiring that showed how it advertised for the position, and screened and interviewed the candidates. To the extent that Montebello adheres to its policies for hiring certificated personnel through a competitive hiring process, it will address our recommendation.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

MUSD has hired personnel following a competitive hiring process, including advertising, screening to ensure minimum qualifications were met and interviewing the candidates. MUSD followed these steps for Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, and Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources. Positions were posted and advertised both inside and outside the district. Supporting documentation is included outlining the process.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Montebello did not demonstrate that it adhered to its policies for hiring certificated personnel. It did not provide documentation to show it filled vacant positions for executives through a competitive hiring process.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2020

MUSD has hired personnel following a competitive hiring process, including advertising, screening to ensure minimum qualifications were met and interviewing the candidates. MUSD followed these steps for Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, and Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources. Positions were posted and advertised both inside and outside the district. Supporting documentation is included outlining the process.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Montebello did not demonstrate that it adhered to its policies for hiring certificated personnel. It did not provide documentation to show it filled vacant positions for executives through a competitive hiring process.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019

MUSD has hired personnel following a competitive hiring process, including advertising, screening to ensure minimum qualifications were met and interviewing the candidates. MUSD followed these steps for Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services and Directors of Educational Services, Federal and State Programs, Human Resources, Special Education, and Student Services. Positions were posted and advertised both inside and outside the district. Supporting documentation is included outlining the process.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Montebello did not demonstrate that it adhered to its policies for hiring certificated personnel. It did not provide documentation to show it filled vacant positions for executives through a competitive hiring process.

1-Year Agency Response

MUSD has hired a permanent Superintendent and followed a competitive hiring process, including advertising, screening to ensure minimum qualifications were met and interviewing the candidates. MUSD also followed the steps for Director of Educational Services, Director of Certificated Human Resources, Principal-Elementary (2). Position were posted and advertised both inside and outside the district. Supporting documentation is included outlining the processes from beginning to end.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

The permanent superintendent that Montebello hired was not an applicant, and thus was not hired as part of the competitive hiring process. Further, Montebello did not provide support that it hired any of the candidates that it screened or interviewed.

6-Month Agency Response

MUSD has hired a permanent superintendent and followed a competitive hiring process, including advertising, screening to ensure that minimum qualifications were met, and interviewing the candidates. Currently, MUSD is following all of the mentioned steps for the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Director of Educational Services, Director of Human Resources, Principal-Elementary. These positions have been advertised inside and outside the district (e.g., Edjoin, Edcal). As requested by the State Auditor-documentation will be submitted once the process has been conducted from beginning to end.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

Montebello did not provide documentation demonstrating that it followed a competitive hiring process when hiring the permanent superintendent. Per Montebello's response, we will evaluate Montebello's actions to implement this recommendation once it submits the documentation of the process being conducted from beginning to end.

60-Day Agency Response

MUSD will continue to ensure that it hires certificated personnel through a competitive hiring process, including advertising the positions (inside and outside of MUSD), screening, and interviewing to ensure that the most qualified and talented leader is hired and retained. Most recently, MUSD has recently hired a Director of Head Start.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

In a November 28, 2017 letter to Montebello, LACOE stated it is concerned about critical vacancies at the district, including a permanent superintendent. When filling this position and other key vacancies, Montebello should ensure it uses a competitive hiring process, including advertising the positions, screening to ensure that minimum qualifications are met, and interviewing to ensure that it hires and retains the most qualified and talented leaders. Further, Montebello's documentation did not demonstrate that it screened candidates when hiring for the Director of Head Start.

All Recommendations in 2017-104

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.