News
Monday, March 3, 2008
Eric Smith Selected as Santa Barbara School Districts’ Deputy Superintendent
Eric D. Smith, who has been serving as the Santa Barbara School Districts’ interim chief business officer since November 2007, has been offered the position of Santa Barbara School Districts’ deputy superintendent for business and non-instructional operations. The $186,000 contract offer was feasible because certain administrative positions will not be filled in 2008-09. Superintendent Brian Sarvis noted, “After talking to a number of school financial organizations, such as School Services of California and FCMAT, this is an appropriate salary range for a deputy superintendent of this caliber.” During Mr. Smith’s three months with the districts, he has already identified $780,000 in budget savings related to insurance expenditures, developer fees, and other areas.
The announcement was made following a closed session meeting of the board of education on Friday, February 29. The board voted 4:0 in favor of the decision, board member Robert Noel was absent.
“With Eric Smith on board, I feel assured that our budget development will be accurate, timely and we'll have confidence in the numbers. With difficult times ahead, it's reassuring that we will know exactly where we are and where we have to go,” said board president Laura Malakoff.
Board member Nancy Harter stated, “We have set the standard very high and Eric meets the standard. We will reap enormous benefits for students and employees beyond what we are paying.”
Upon hearing the vote, Brian Tanguay, Chapter 37 president of the California School Employees Association, offered eleven words: “The right move with the right man at the right time.”
As the deputy superintendent, Eric Smith is responsible for all business services of the districts, including planning, budget, fiscal management, facilities, maintenance and operations, transportation, nutrition services, centralized data processing, purchasing, safety, student attendance, and risk management. The deputy superintendent reports to the superintendent. In the absence of the superintendent, he serves as the districts’ chief executive officer.
Mr. Smith has 21 years of experience in school business management and is the only sitting chief business official in the state of California to have worked as a chief business official for a school district, a county office of education, and as staff for the state’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT).
Eric Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal Poly, Pomona and a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Stanislaus. He attended the ACSA/CASBO “School Business Manager’s Academy” and is a California Association of School Business Officials certified chief business official.
Mr. Smith has served on the board of directors for the Self Insured Schools of California and has served two terms as president of the San Luis Obispo County Schools Insurance Program for Employees. He is the incoming president of the California Association of School Business Officials.
Mr. Smith’s published works include: “The Amazing Race: Succeeding in the State School Facilities Program,” CASBO Journal of School Business Management (January/February 2003); “Twenty Tips for New and Aspiring CBOs” (with Nick Ferguson), CASBO Journal of School Business Management (May/June 2001) “The Upwardly Mobile CBO: Ten tips for your next career move,” CASBO California School Business magazine (Fall 2006). He also serves as a mentor for new and aspiring chief business officials in both the FCMAT/CASBO Chief Business Official Mentor Project and the CASBO-led SB 352 Education Partnership Training Program. Mr. Smith is a former recipient of the CASBO Friends of Education Scholarship.
Eric Smith has been formally recognized by the Eureka City Schools, the Paso Robles Public Schools, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education, and the Berkeley Unified School District for making significant contributions to the field of school business management.
The district will help him try and secure housing in the area. The position is effective March 1, 2008.