Press Release
June 20, 2012
In a move to take the Thompson School District in a different direction, the Board of Education voted Wednesday night to terminate the remaining year’s contract of Superintendent Ron Cabrera, who will leave his position on June 30.
The board voted during a regular Board of Education meeting after making the decision during an executive session on Monday, June 11. Cabrera was notified on Wednesday, June 13.
The board will select an interim superintendent no later than September and begin a search in January for a replacement to start in July 2014. Cabrera agreed to return in July to complete tasks and projects to ease the transition to the interim superintendent.
“This is not a termination for cause,” said Sharon Olson, president of the BOE said. “An option that the board has when they want to change direction is to buy out the remaining year of the contract.” She added that only one of the current board members was on the board that hired Dr. Cabrera. “When you have such a dramatic change of the board composition, it changes our goals and vision too,” she said.
The terms of the settlement agreement included $200,005 to be given in two installments in August 2012 and August 2013.
The board met in executive session to discuss the details of the search for an interim superintendent.
Loveland Reporter-Herald
Thompson School District’s board fires Superintendent Ron Cabrera; board member Lola Johnson resigns
By Shelly Widhalm
Thompson School District Superintendent Ron Cabrera was dismissed from his position Wednesday at the request of five of seven Board of Education members. One of the dissenters, board member Lola Johnson, resigned effective immediately while her family sat in the audience. … Read More
School Board Press Release : Correction:
June 21, 2012 addition to the June 20 release
Correction and process for superintendent selection
Correction to information in newspaper:
The Board of Education met in an executive session on June 12, which was posted and followed legal guidelines. The date was incorrectly reported in the Reporter-Herald. The district’s attorney was present throughout the meeting to provide legal advice.
The future:
Board of Education President Sharon Olson said that while the Board will not have regular meetings during July, it will convene openly to discuss the processes for seeking temporary leadership, an interim superintendent and a superintendent as well as a replacement for Lola Johnson’s board position in District A.
“We are in the process of talking to executive staff about someone who will step in to fill in as superintendent for July and August,” Olson said. Meanwhile, the search will begin for an interim superintendent. “We would like to have that filled by September,” she added. She said the BOE will seek someone from within the state who possibly recently retired. A national search will likely begin in January with a projected decision on the new superintendent by March.
Estimated timeline:
- June 25-28: Name senior leadership member to lead district during July and August (Deputy Superintendent Judy Skupa, Assistant Superintendent Mike Jones or Chief Financial Officer Steve Towne)
- July: Search begins for board member replacement
- July-August: Process determined for interim superintendent search
- August: Start BOE meetings with a full board
- September: Name interim superintendent
- January: Start process for national superintendent search
- March: Name a superintendent to start July 2013
