CLEARFIELD – At Monday night’s meeting, the Clearfield Area School District Board of Directors were once again questioned about its hiring practices.
During public comment Larry Wurster said his son had substituted in the district for five years.
“He did a pretty good job,” Wurster said, adding that his son later applied for a music position, when it opened up in the district.
According to Wurster his son was “thoroughly qualified” for the position and should have been chosen. He said that a committee member’s in-law was selected instead.
“Mr. (Bruce) Nicolls sat on that committee and has said the district only hires the best qualified candidates. That’s a lie,” Wurster said.
He said he believes that the district’s new hires are simply “rubber stamped.”
“I don’t think that the board knows who it’s hiring anymore, because none of them sit on the committee,” Wurster said. “I doubt anyone has ever seen my son’s resume.”
Wurster said that his son worked with students and helped them while he subbed for the school district.
“You’re passing up a qualified candidate that’s all I have to say,” he said.
After the meeting, Interim Superintendent Bruce Nicolls reacted to the criticism. He said that the hiring committee consists of both administrators and teachers.
Nicolls did say that he believed a committee member’s relative was hired for that particular position. But he also said that he didn’t believe a single committee member could sway the ultimate candidate selection.
“This sort of thing happens. We only interview qualified people, and it is hard. We sympathize with him,” he said.
He also said the hiring process considers more than a candidate’s resume. He said interviewees must also teach a lesson, respond in a written prompt and complete an interview.
Nicolls said a candidate’s resume is “only a piece” of the process. He said the district also actively seeks out qualified candidates to potentially fill positions.
“There is no benefit to hiring an unqualified individual,” Nicolls said.