Dearborn Schools Prepares to Hire New Business Manager
Applicants who are looking to take the place of slain Dearborn Public Schools employee Robert Cipriano will begin the first part of an interview process this month.
The process to hire a person to head the Dearborn Public Schools' business services department will begin Thursday, the district confirmed Monday at the Board of Education meeting.
Former Business Services director Robert Cipriano, who served the district in that role for more than a decade, was killed in an attack at his Farmington Hills home April 16.
Supt. Brian Whiston said Monday that the position is a key role within the district. The qualifications are broad for the job, which includes overseeing the district's $234 million budget.
The 16 applicants–who were picked out of a pool of 30–will interview with two groups of individuals at the district's Administrative Services Center.
“I will interview the final candidates–about three or four of the applicants–when the committees make their recommendations,” Whiston said.
The two committees are made of district financial staffers, personnel representatives, parents and other stakeholders, Whiston said. Linda Kempton, a former financial services director at Wayne-Westland Schools and a current member of the Wayne RESA financial staff, has been filling in part-time in the role since Cipriano’s death.
Business Services oversees all financial matters for the district; including the $169 million general fund budget, payroll services, benefits, as well as all of the district’s accounting responsibilities. Additionally, the Business Services director would be involved in union contract negotiations, as well as coordinating elections with the Dearborn City Clerk.
Whiston said the job should be filled by a person with a wide range of professional experiences.
“We want someone who has some experience in schools, but also has experiences in the private sector,” he said. “We want a person that is the best possible candidate.”
The position will pay between $92,180 and $114,823 annually, according to a posting put out by the schools.
Whiston said that the district will make an announcement regarding who is hired by the district once a decision is made. The hiring of a candidate must be approved by the Board of Education.
