Denver school board set to make announcement in superintendent search

The Denver school board has called a sudden meeting Thursday afternoon related to the search for the next superintendent.

The publicly posted agenda contains a single item of business: Resolution Regarding Next Phase of the Superintendent Search.

The agenda does not indicate what the resolution will say. However, a spokesperson for the district said the board will make an announcement.

The district had planned to announce one or more finalists this past Monday, then postponed that announcement until Friday without giving a reason for the delay. On social media, community activists said that a potential finalist withdrew from consideration, fueling speculation that the board was considering its options under new, changed circumstances. Those could range from announcing a sole finalist to reopening the search.

The board met in closed session on Wednesday, which it is allowed to do to discuss personnel and legal matters. Thursday’s meeting at 4:30 p.m. is open to the public.

Denver Public Schools had been planning to hire a new superintendent by Dec. 10, but the delay pushes that date back. State law requires 14 days between when a finalist or finalists are announced and when the board makes a hire. An interim superintendent, Ron Cabrera, has been in place since former superintendent Tom Boasberg stepped down in late October.