MorganHillTimes.com | <img src="http://web1.svnewspapers.com/epod/Chris/Icons/document.jpg" border="0">County school boss first to get home loan

NEWS > SCHOOLS
County school boss first to get home loan

Apr 28, 2008
By Natalie Everett











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Charles Weis was named Santa Clara County superintendent of schools April 16 after a months-long search process.

The career move was obvious, bringing Weis from the head of the state's 12th largest county by population, Ventura, to its fourth largest.

The actual move was more difficult - or would have been, if Santa Clara County Board of Education members wouldn't have given him a $1 million home loan to assist in his move from Ventura County, where Weis serves as superintendent of schools.

Board of Education President Jane Howard said this is the first time the board has offered a home loan with a position. But it's not the first time in the area, she said, naming Palo Alto Unified School District as a sort of model for the perk. Palo Alto's board hired Esperanza Zendejas as superintendent in July 2007 with a $1 million home loan bonus. The board offered this same amount, assuming it would be sufficient in the San Jose area, too.

"When you get someone of his caliber, it's like recruiting a CEO of a huge corporation," Howard said. "(Santa Clara County's school system) is a huge operation, and we felt we needed to offer significant financial resources to get them here."

Weis will serve 32 school districts, manage a staff of about 1,900 and a budget of about $280 million, and report to the seven-member school board.

A California native, Weis has held Ventura's top education position since 1993. He is scheduled to assume his new position on July 1.

Howard said she believes Weis will be worth his price tag, which includes the home loan - the first half of which will be interest free, the latter half at a 3 percent interest rate. He will also receive a $15,000 stipend to relocate to Silicon Valley. "Big numbers," said Jane Howard, president of the board, but he has the goods to back it up, she added.and a $285,000 annual base salary.

"I'm really confident about what he can do to bring the superintendent position in our area," she said.

The board voted unanimously to hire the seasoned superintendent, after a month-long search process conducted by Leadership Associates. Weis was selected from a pool of about 15 "extremely impressive" candidates, according to Howard. The move to hire him resulted after two special board meetings at which six finalists were interviewed.

Weis was not available for comment on the topic of his home loan, but has previously told The Times that he's looking forward to working in Silicon Valley.

"It's go this kind of energy and innovation, I'm looking forward to helping the schools become as energetic and innovative as they can be so the students can learn more," he said.

Weis said Ventura County doesn't have a large metropolitan area like San Jose, but that otherwise the counties have similarities, including diversities in language, class and rural and suburban areas.

Weis will replace Colleen Wilcox, who resigned in November after 14 years at the post.

Born in Santa Monica and raised in Los Angeles, Weis earned a bachelor's degree at University of California, Los Angeles, a master's degree at California State University, Northridge, and a doctorate at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Howard said the board and Weis shared similar priorities and called his focus on customer service and his technological savvy "remarkable." She characterized Weis with a list of glowing adjectives: forthright, passionate, articulate and down to earth, among others.

"He's someone you really gravitate to," she said. "He stands head and shoulders above the rest."

Natalie Everett
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