And before the meeting, two dozen parents and staff members stood outside the district headquarters on Gravelly Lake Drive, waving signs ranging from “No confidence” and “No ethics” to “Curtis has our kids.” The last was a reference to the Clover Park district students who have transferred to Curtis Junior High and high schools in neighboring University Place.

“We’re here because we think the public wasn’t really considered in the decision process of selecting the superintendent,” said Clint Johnson, a Clover Park High School graduate who has transferred two of his three sons out of the district because of what he considers the lack of academic rigor.

“Debbie LeBeau is someone I know and respect,” Johnson said. “She does a good job in what she does. But was she the best candidate for superintendent? Not from what we saw and heard.”

The controversy stems from the board’s decision May 1 to select LeBeau, currently deputy superintendent, as the next superintendent of the 11,700-student district.

LeBeau, 53, is a longtime Washington state educator who has worked for Clover Park since 1996 in various administrative positions, including deputy superintendent for the past year.

LeBeau was chosen after a national search that generated a pool of 14 applicants, that the board narrowed to five semifinalists.

Community members participated in forums last month asking questions of the three finalists, including LeBeau.

On Monday night, the board approved LeBeau’s two-year contract for her new job. LeBeau will earn an annual salary of $169,000, a $400 monthly allowance for travel within the district, and the same medical, dental and other insurance benefits provided to other administrators. The contract runs from July 1 through June 30, 2010.

The agreement also calls for the board to evaluate LeBeau at least twice a year based on criteria, goals and objectives set by the board and superintendent.

Board President Carole Jacobs stressed the board shares the public’s concern over students leaving district schools, the need for academic rigor, and problems in middle and high schools – all are priorities that she said the board will ensure LeBeau addresses.

The deputy superintendent already has proven she can resolve problems, board members said. Board vice president Marty Schafer noted LeBeau shored up the district’s once problem-plagued special education department to the point that students outside the district are seeking to transfer into the program.

“The bottom line is Debbie has a proven track record, the ability to fix things that are broken,” board member Walt Kellcy said. Unlike some of the other candidates, “she’s a doer not a talker.”

Parent Amy Paulson said she was among the scores of community members who participated in a district forum in November, where participants broke into groups and listed the qualities they wanted in the next superintendent.

Every group wanted an innovative person from outside the district, she recalled. Yet, in community forums with the public, Paulson and other speakers Monday said LeBeau didn’t acknowledge or seem aware that the district had problems.

Board members insisted they incorporated the public’s input on superintendent criteria by including them in the brochure seeking applicants and when evaluating candidates.

Kellcy said LeBeau was at a disadvantage in the community forums because of “a fair amount of negativity” in the audience against the previous district administration. In addition, she may not have spoken as candidly as she would have liked since co-workers were in the forums.

Other speakers questioned why the board didn’t conduct site visits to the two outside finalists’ school districts.

Board members explained that finalist William “Rob” Roberts dropped out of the process when the board said it would need to visit his current school district in Nevada and that, if hired, he would have had to live within the district.

Kellcy added that Roberts made inappropriate comments, had fired seven principals in his current district and wasn't experienced at working with unions.

“We needed someone to work with folks, not run over them,” Kellcy said.

The board decided it wasn't necessary to visit Bethel School District, where the other finalist, Mike Brophy, is assistant superintendent of secondary schools. Board members believed their search consultant, McPherson & Jacobson, had done a thorough job investigating Brophy, and school board members personally talked with numerous Bethel people who knew him.

But parent Cindy Baij questioned why the search consultant hadn’t told the board earlier in the process about issues it found with Brophy and Roberts.

“I want to say I feel you betrayed this community,” Baij said.

“More importantly, I feel you betrayed our children. I, for one, would like to call for the resignation of the entire board.”

Gary Yazwa, president and chief executive of the Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound Foundation, said he worked with LeBeau while the district and Boys and Girls Club were developing the Hope Center and Lakeview Elementary School project, and found her willing to listen and work with him.

“I would say give Deb a chance. Let’s work together to make the district the best it can be. When people leave the district, that’s a quitter,” he said. “Deb has the integrity and willingness to do the job.”

Debby Abe: 253-597-8694

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