The Board of Education for the Grants/Cibola County Schools voted unanimously to appoint Mr. Lane Widner as the Grants/Cibola County Schools’ new Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1, 2023. Mr. Widner was chosen through a comprehensive search based on the academic leadership profile prepared by the Board after receiving input from staff, parents, students and community members. Mr. Widner will succeed Superintendent Max Perez to lead this diverse school district.
The Board of Education was very excited to have an excellent field of 19 candidates for the Superintendent position. The Board completed a series of rigorous interviews to determine the degree of fit between the community’s criteria and the candidates’ professional experiences. With the assistance of a staff, parent and community member interview teams conducting separate interviews, the Board also interviewed the final four candidates, and the Board conducted reference checks of the final four candidates. The Board then weighed the fit of the candidates with the current strategic initiatives that needed to be sustained and improve. While the Board respected the attributes of all four finalists, Mr. Widner emerged as the right fit for our School District.
When considering candidates, the Board was looking for educational experience, academic excellence and a passion for innovation and inspiration, and we found those qualities in Mr. Widner. The Board recognized Mr. Widner’s focus and passion on creating equitable experiences for students to thrive, paired with his commitment to continuous improvement in creating an exciting opportunities for our students, staff and community. His understanding and commitment to the continuation and advancement of the current Strategic Plan was crucial.
Mr. Widner is an accomplished school administrator with experience in the classroom, and at the school leadership level. We are confident that his leadership will be about meeting people where they are, creating teams, building trust, and helping them to become even more effective. He will lead a strong organization using the Board’s goals and guardrails to achieve educational and operational excellence.
The Board is extremely pleased to welcome a superintendent with his passion in providing equitable growth and sound learning environments that will result in increased opportunities for student and staff success.
The Board would like to thank Mr. Max Perez for his experienced leadership of the Grants/Cibola County Schools over the past years, including through the unprecedented and turbulent pandemic years. The District will build upon the changes in the delivery of a standards based education that Mr. Perez initiated.
The District’s Strategic Plan will be sustained and improved on by Mr. Widner. The Plan called for a coherent and systematic approach delivering standards based curriculum. The District Learning Plan and the Professional Learning Communities, which moved schools away from “old school” teaching in isolation will be improved. These teams of teachers (PLCs) apply their collective brainpower improve day to day standardsbased instruction for all students. Instructional coaches will enhance teacher effectiveness.
The Districts Strategic Plan also stressed the value of our cultural diversity as a basis for connecting learning to home. This is leading to a cultural responsiveness and appreciation of all that we are throughout the district. Building the socioemotional strengths of our students who endured the Covid period of their learning is also evolving. In the end we expect higher graduation rates and more celebration of students ready to enter post secondary education or the world of highpaying work.
And now, we will sustain those Board adopted strategies, advance them to the next level, addressing fundamental improvements in math, reading, and academic language proficiency. Powerful programs in CTE shall produce skilled graduates. Early College High School offer exceptional students another avenue to succeed. We must increase academic success for our children at risk and for the students already academically flourishing. Equity for all students shall guide Grants Cibola County School District as it provides the resources necessary to reach their potential.
Mr. Widner will be listening, learning and leading the School District with the input from our school community to increase opportunities for all students using empathy, equity, community and tribal engagement, results orientation, and continuous improvement to chart the School District’s continuing path to improve academic and operational successes.
Thank you to our students, staff, parents, and community members who shared their thoughts to help the Board build a candidate profile for the next superintendent. The Board of Education very much looks forward to welcoming Mr. Widner as Superintendent of Schools on July 1.