Why This Hire May Be a Superintendent’s Most Consequential Decision

When Tina Douglas applied for the chief business official (CBO) position at La Mesa-Spring Valley School District in 2023, she was looking for a change. Douglas had spent six years at San Dieguito Union High School District, serving first as associate superintendent and later as interim superintendent. While there, she worked with six different superintendents.

The frequent turnover took a toll. So, although she once hoped to retire from San Dieguito, Douglas decided to apply for the open CBO role at La Mesa-Spring Valley instead. It turned out to be the right move.

“I feel like I’m actually part of a very functional team that carries the burden of our work together,” Douglas says. “We’re going through budget reductions, but I don’t feel like the burden is all on my shoulders. We’re having conversations together about what we can do to reach the necessary reductions with minimal impact to people.”

That sense of shared responsibility is a hallmark of Douglas’s working relationship with David Feliciano, superintendent of La Mesa-Spring Valley. Though the two had not worked together previously, they quickly developed a true partnership grounded in trust, collaboration and aligned leadership. Together with the rest of the cabinet, they accomplish more with less stress than any of them could alone.

Douglas’s daily commute is now twice as long as it was previously, but she says the extra time in the car is worth it for the opportunity to collaborate with others who are as deeply committed to the success of the district and community as she is. Feliciano, the superintendent, is equally grateful for the opportunity to work closely with Douglas. “Like Tina, I worked as a CBO in a district that had five superintendents in four years. It was very hard,” he says.

“One of the things that we have in common with our fellow executive team members here is that we’ve all worked in very dysfunctional places. So, as we were initially talking with Tina, it was very much about our leadership philosophy and our ‘why.’ I wanted to make sure we were aligned on those things.”

Alignment between superintendent and CBO may be one of the most critical drivers of district effectiveness.

“There’s so much more benefit to students when there’s stability and leadership in district administration,” says Sarah Niemann, Ed.D., director of management consulting services for School Services of California. Superintendents who thoughtfully hire, intentionally onboard and consistently support their CBOs reap the benefits of the CBOs’ full range of skills and talents.

But in the rush to fill a critical cabinet position, some districts simply copy, paste and repost an old job description. That shortcut often misses the moment – and the opportunity.

“Hiring a CBO is one of the most consequential decisions a superintendent makes,” says Tim Stowe, Ed.D., superintendent of Torrance Unified School District. (TUSD). As the education landscape continues to evolve, superintendents must take a more intentional, strategic approach to building this critical leadership partnership.

The CBO Role Has Changed –and Expectations Must Change with It

CBOs are no longer just the “numbers” or “business” people in a school district. They’re involved in every aspect of district functioning and play a vital role in district leadership.

“The needs of our school communities have shifted,” says Niemann. “We need our CBOs to be really creative in budgeting, to be looking for ways to get to ‘yes.’ We need people who understand how their decisions or assumptions impact student outcomes and programmatic needs.”

Fiscal decisions cannot (and should not) be made in a vacuum. CBOs who understand the educational priorities of their district can facilitate programs and investments that support those priorities.

CBOs who take the time to get to know department heads, employees and community members are better positioned to achieve buy-in on crucial initiatives – and better able to respond to needs and concerns voiced by front-line personnel.

That’s why superintendents are increasingly looking “more at leadership skills and qualities in their CBO candidates,” Niemann says. “They want someone who can really be student-focused and think big picture in terms of district needs.”

Start Before You Post: Define What Your District Actually Needs

Finding the right CBO begins with clearly defining your district’s priorities and challenges. “The hiring landscape for a CBO position is really dependent on the local needs,” Niemann says. Because California’s districts vary greatly in size, a CBO’s role and responsibilities can look very different district to district.

In some districts, the CBO or associate superintendent supervises multiple departments and many employees. In others, the CBO personally handles district finances and human resources.

“I start with a ‘task and function’ audit before I even post a position, asking questions such as, ‘Do I need a technical expert to stabilize the books or a strategic Chief Operating Officer who can oversee a number of critical departments?’” says Stowe.

The CBO task and function checklist included in CASBO’s “Superintendent’s Guide to Hiring, Supporting and Developing Your Chief Business Official” is a “great tool to ensure you are looking for the right type of leader for your district’s current climate, as well as for the future,” Stowe says. It provides a series of prompts you can use to identify the abilities and experience you need in a CBO candidate, as well as their likely responsibilities.

Write the Job Description – But Don’t Let It Do the Hiring

A task and function checklist can also help you draft your CBO job description. However, it’s important to not be overly specific or restrictive. Although almost all superintendents would prefer to hire an experienced CBO with a proven track record of fiscal leadership and success, the reality is that many of California’s most experienced CBOs have retired in recent years, with more poised to retire in the near future. (Thirty-two percent of CBO candidates who responded to CASBO’s 2024 Value of Certification Study expressed an interest in retiring before 2029.)

The majority of CBOs interested in earning CASBO certification have less than five years’ experience; many have fewer than two years’ experience. That’s one reason why “we try to encourage our superintendents to not have such strict hiring requirements that it eliminates people,” Niemann says.

“We have really been encouraging districts to reduce hiring barriers to open up the candidate pool.” Years of experience or specific technical skills may not be as important as you think they are. An enthusiastic candidate who meshes well with the rest of your cabinet and is a creative, big picture-thinker may be a better fit for your district than an experienced business official with multiple certifications and few interpersonal skills.

It is easier to build an individual’s technical capabilities than it is to teach judgment, collaboration and trust-based leadership.

Recruit for Fit, Not Just Credentials

Searching for a CBO can be a delicate endeavor. “You want to find someone that you think would be great without headhunting your colleagues’ right-hand person,” Feliciano says. The educational community in California is well-connected, and word spreads quickly.

Letting others know that you’re in the market for a CBO – and talking openly about the qualities that you’re hoping to find – can maximize your chances of finding a CBO who is a good fit for your district. To ensure that you attract candidates who understand the unique complexities of California school finance, use CASBO’s job board or work with organizations like the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) or School Services of California.

Feliciano simply posted the job when he was need of a CBO. “My philosophy was to put it out there and see who showed interest, in hopes that someone really good would come to the table, which is exactly what
happened with Tina,” he said, noting that she hadn’t even crossed his mind as a possibility because he thought of her as a superintendent at the time.

Douglas didn’t apply for the position right away; instead, she called the sitting LMSVSD CBO for more information. “I wanted to find out, one, why she was leaving, and two, what are the dynamics here?” Douglas said. That kind of initiative is instructive.

“A CBO’s role is really to work right alongside and in concert with the superintendent,” Feliciano says.

“I’d be concerned if anyone interested in the role hadn’t done some homework on the front end to learn more about me and the district.” Keith Butler, Ph.D., deputy superintendent for Torrance Unified School
District (TUSD), used a thorough pre-interview preparation process to vet the district before he applied. He read news articles and a year’s-worth of board agendas, watched recordings of school board meetings, and read comparative reports and bond offering statements, all in an attempt to get more information about the district and the degree of fit between him and district leadership.

“Districts have different flavors,” Butler says. “There’s got to be a fit between superintendent and CBO, between CBO and the district.” Douglas says that Feliciano made clear that he and his cabinet were looking for “someone who’s humble, has a heart for kids, is hungry and eager for the work and who’s people smart.” That resonated with her – and yet, she still wasn’t sure she wanted to move to a new district, one much farther from her home.

As she was considering her options, Feliciano sent her a text message affirming the district’s interest in her as a candidate but encouraging her to consider and prioritize her needs. “It was really those comments that sealed the deal for me,” she says. “I got a clear sense that this is a superintendent I would want to work for.”

Onboarding Is Leadership, Not Logistics

Ideally, your new CBO will have an opportunity to work with your outgoing CBO for a while before independently assuming the role. But even if that’s the case, it’s important to personally welcome your new hire and integrate them into the leadership team. “The first 90 days should be all about integration over execution,” says Stowe, the TUSD superintendent. “I’m very intentional about getting new CBOs out of the district office and onto our school sites. I want them to see the students, teachers and staff behind the line items on the budget.”

Whenever possible, personally introduce the CBO to department heads and stakeholders. Build in time to get to know one another; to work most effectively together, you’ll need to understand one another’s personality and work styles. That’s why Feliciano schedules a day-long, off-site retreat during the first three months of a CBO’s tenure.

“The whole purpose of that time is to get to know each other,” he says. “We’re not talking about budget or strategic planning. It’s totally relational.” Niemann recommends that superintendents explicitly encourage CBOs to prioritize relationship building during their first few weeks on the job. “You can say something like, ‘My intent is for you to use this time to work with your direct reports to visit people in the field. See what’s going on with our sites. Meet our principals,’” she says. “It’s not ‘go out and see what’s wrong’ or ‘do a needs assessment,’ but get to know faces and where things are.”

Set the CBO Up for Early Wins – and Long-Term Success

Outlining clear expectations for first priorities for a CBO is incredibly helpful. It’s even better if you can cue up a few wins. “Make sure your new CBO has a little bit of money to say yes to some things,” Butler says. That way, if a site principal mentions, say, a need for a working security camera to discourage hijinks in a locker room, the CBO can actively demonstrate their intent to facilitate school operations.

“It’s not buying favor; it’s making something go through that makes a principal’s life easier,” Butler explains. Nieman agrees that this approach can pay long-term dividends and contribute to a CBO’s success.

“There might be big problems in a district, but if a CBO can get some little wins early, they won’t just be the ‘no’ person. They’ll establish some professional capital,” she says.

Invest in Growth – or Risk Losing Your Best Leaders

You, your district and students will get the best results if you continually nurture your CBO’s development. Investing in their professional growth is particularly important for CBOs who are new to the role. Both Stowe and Niemann recommend pairing inexperienced CBOs with veteran mentors. “Having a ‘safe harbor’ to ask technical questions, outside of our cabinet, is a game-changer for their confidence,” Stowe says.

Niemann encourages superintendents to financially invest in additional training opportunities, as necessary, for CBO development throughout the CBO’s tenure with the district. After all, “a good CBO is so valuable that they can handpick their jobs,” she says. “They can very easily move to a bigger, higher-paying job.”

When superintendents invest the time and intention to hire, onboard and support the right CBO, they don’t just make their own lives easier – they create stability and trust that allows their entire district to function at its best.