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On Jan. 23, 2024, Lexington One Board of Trustees amended the superintendent’s contract to change deputy superintendent to superintendent-elect/superintendent.

As part of Dr. Postlewait’s five-year employment contract, the Lexington One board required that she create a new position, deputy superintendent, and fill the job within six months. Because of budget constraints, the district chose to leave this position vacant during the 2023–24 school year.

At the Jan. 23 meeting, Dr. Postlewait recommended and the board voted to amend Section Two of the superintendent’s contract to reclassify the deputy superintendent position referenced in her contract to a superintendent-elect/superintendent.

At the Jan. 30 Special Called Board Meeting, the board voted to contract with Dino Teppara, founder of DT Strategies, to assist with the search process for the superintendent-elect/superintendent. This action follows the board's vote on 1/23/2024 to amend Section Two of the superintendent’s contract to reclassify the deputy superintendent position referenced in her contract to a superintendent-elect/superintendent.

What does this mean?

First, Dr. Gerrita Postlewait, Lexington One's current superintendent, is not stepping down. Succession planning during this critical time in our district when we are about to begin a new five-year strategic plan drives this change in the superintendent's contract and the search for a superintendent-elect/superintendent. Dr. Postlewait commented at the Jan. 23 board meeting that she is in her sixth decade of service to public schools. Although she is under contract through the 2026-27 school year, her priority is to ensure a smooth and seamless leadership transition at the appropriate time in the coming 3-year period.

On 1/23/2024, Lexington One Board of Trustees amended the superintendent’s contract to change deputy superintendent to superintendent-elect/superintendent.

As part of Dr. Postlewait’s five-year employment contract, the Lexington One board required that she create a new position, deputy superintendent, and fill the job within six months. Because of budget constraints, the district chose to leave this position vacant during the 2023–24 school year.

At the Jan. 23 meeting, Dr. Postlewait recommended and the board voted to amend Section Two of the superintendent’s contract to reclassify the deputy superintendent position referenced in her contract to a superintendent-elect/superintendent.

Succession planning during this critical time in our district drives this decision.

Searching for and hiring a superintendent-elect/superintendent provides a smooth leadership transition for the district. As Dr. Postlewait mentioned at the Jan. 23 board meeting, Lexington One is about to begin implementing a new five-year strategic plan that will involve addressing areas of improvement identified in a recently completed curriculum effectiveness audit. A superintendent-elect/superintendent position can ensure a seamless transition in leadership during a very critical period when there is much work to be done.

At the 1/23/2024 board meeting Dr. Postlewait said, “I think it would be in the district’s best interest to have stability during that transition time of one superintendent to the next. I would love to be able to stay here for the full five years, but to be honest I’m in my sixth decade of working with, in and for schools. I would be a little fearful of pushing the envelope on how far I could actually go with the next strategic plan. I’d like to go as far as it will take us, but I want the succession planning to be really clear.”

On 1/30/2024, Lexington One Board of Trustees voted to contract with Dino Teppara, founder of DT Strategies, to assist the board with the search process for the superintendent-elect/superintendent.

The superintendent-elect succession planning model typically calls for the superintendent-elect to work closely with the superintendent and the district’s Senior Leadership Team to understand the daily operational aspects of the district. This includes curriculum development and instruction; operations; budget management; human resources; and student services. After spending a specified amount of time serving as a part of the district’s senior leadership team and working closely with the superintendent, the superintendent-elect would gradually take on more responsibilities, leading to a full transition. 

Next steps include the Board Chair and Dr. Postlewait working with Mr. Teppara to get the process started.

The Board of Trustees also voted on 1/30/24 to authorize the Board Chair and Superintendent Postlewait to work with Mr. Teppara to post the advertisement and assist with the search. Lexington One students, employees, families, and community members will have the opportunity to give feedback on what is working well in the district, what opportunities exist for change/improvement and what leadership qualities are most important to consider during the search.