Superintendent Debacle: FHForward's take on the Audit

If you've been following the story of the superintendent who didn't come to work in Francis Howell but instead got a $230K settlement not to take the job, you know we were left with more questions than answers. With personnel matters being confidential, the board was not legally able to share the specific information, and our community was left in the dark.

When the state used its subpoena power and promised to tell voters more about the failed hire, there was hope we might eventually learn more. Unfortunately, when the audit report came out yesterday, not only did it contain very little new information, it glossed over accountability for School Exec Connect (the search firm) and the egregious actions of Dominguez himself—all while trying its best to paint the district as derelict in its duty.

The only revelation? Despite being paid $40K to search for and vet superintendent candidates, School Exec Connect did not raise red flags to alert the district that Dr. Dominguez did not have a letter of recommendation from his last district, and the firm failed to identify the fact that he had resigned a year before his contract was set to expire.

Read the full Audit Report Here

We may never know the exact reason for Mr. Dominguez's unusual departure from his district, but we thank the current and former board members for making the choice to protect staff and students and preventing this individual from taking leadership in our district.

Regarding the financial loss, we take comfort in knowing that the members of the prior board who drove off a quality superintendent and created the conditions for this situation are no longer in leadership.