After officially having his contract approved at Wednesday’s board meeting, Michael Vierra had his first day as the William S. Hart Union High School District’s superintendent on Thursday.
The board unanimously approved the contract, which calls for Vierra to make $310,000 per year. He also is slated to receive health benefits, an automobile reimbursement of $875 per month and a 2% annual salary increase, with a positive evaluation, according to board President Linda Storli.
Vierra had been serving as interim superintendent since July. He was appointed to that role following the departure of former Superintendent Mike Kuhlman at the end of the last school year.
“I would like to thank the governing board for this great opportunity to serve as the superintendent of our district,” Vierra said during the meeting, “and for all the community and staff who were involved in the process … All of our students and community partners, just ensuring that all of our students who go through the Hart district have a really fantastic experience, each and every student, and that when they leave here, they are prepared for whatever the future holds.”
The board conducted what board member Cherise Moore called a “rigorous process” as it searched for a permanent head of the district. A search firm was selected to find candidates, who were interviewed in November in closed session.
“It was not a shoo-in for you, and I want to thank you for putting forth a really strong effort in making sure that we saw you as the strongest candidate for this position,” Moore said. “We look forward to working with you and the leadership that you bring into this role.”
Storli, who was leading her last meeting before next week’s organizational meeting that will see her step down from the board after nine years and 40 years total with the district, after falling short in her November reelection bid, said of all the candidates who were interviewed, Vierra was the best one.
“I’ve had the opportunity of being in this district longer than anyone. I’m looking in the room, and I’m pretty sure that that’s true,” Storli said. “I’ve seen good superintendents, I’ve seen great superintendents, I’ve seen not-so-great superintendents, and I must tell anyone that was questioning our process — we did this with our hearts and our eyes open. We looked at candidates and we looked far and wide, and without a doubt, we picked the best candidate.”
Board member Bob Jensen added: “Mike, I’ve worked with you for many years, and you’ve done a great job and you’ll continue to do a good job, a great job, and I appreciate all your hard work and your dedication and I look forward to working with you for many more years.”
