Wes Smith seeking superintendent post in Morgan Hill

The Morgan Hill Unified School District is seeking a new superintendent and soon the Cascade Union Elementary School District in Anderson may be as well.

Wesley Smith, 40, the current superintendent for CUESD, may be accepting a job as the superintendent for the Morgan Hill district.

In the past year Smith and Cascade have had to face a discrimination lawsuit filled by the parent of a special education child, budget cuts, and enrollment declining within the district.

According to Smith, he did apply for the job as superintendent for Morgan Hill and was one of six semi-finalist candidates chosen for a district visit, but he does not want to comment on whether he is in negotiations with Morgan Hill to be their new superintendent. Smith says he expects to know his decision by November 10.

“I was part of a group that met when their seven member board came and interviewed all of us,” said Anderson City Council member Keith Webster, a close friend of Smith’s.

Webster said the group consisted of former CUESD Superintendent John Almond, Jim Cloney, now superintendent of the Shasta Union High School District, teacher Rick Copus from Anderson Union High School, Anderson Police Chief Dale Webb and a parent whom Webster did not know.

The Morgan Hill board created a brochure listing the qualities their ideal candidate would possess after their superintendent Dr. Alan Nishino retired in June of this year. A few of the qualities, according to articles in the Morgan Hill Times, were “dynamic educational leadership, ” “bringing people together for a common cause” and “has a strong commitment to high levels of education. ”

It has not yet been confirmed as to who has been selected as the superintendent position at Morgan Hill.

“I am sure as soon as the board has finished negotiations with whomever the board has chosen, there will be an official announcement and all inquires will be answered,” said Kathleen Sullivan, a board member for Morgan Hill.

The Cascade district will be meeting tomorrow morning for a closed session to discuss Smith’s resignation and the hiring of an interim superintendent.