Osborne Mulls Michigan Job Offer, South Orange-Maplewood Awaits Next Steps

South Orange and Maplewood residents could learn this week whether their chief of schools will be departing for a job in Ann Arbor, Mich., which would plunge the South Orange-Maplewood School District (SOMSD) into its first superintendent search in six years.

The Ann Arbor school district's Board of Education unanimously approved Brian Osborne's hiring at a special meeting Friday night and formally offered him the job, ending two weeks of a highly public search process.

In a statement Saturday to Ann Arbor.com, Osborne thanked the board for its thoroughness and transparency and said the community was "lucky to have a board that takes its job so seriously." He said he was "carefully considering" the offer with his family.

"Dr. Osborne has a big decision in front of him, not only for his career, but for his family as well," SOM Board of Education President Beth Daugherty wrote in an email to Patch. "The Board remains hopeful that Brian will decline Ann Arbor's offer and remain in South Orange-Maplewood. However, should he leave, the Board will be prepared to begin a superintendent search process."

A district spokeswoman last week confirmed the board would likely hire a search firm for the process, as it did in 2007 when Osborne was brought in to replace Peter Horoschak. The spokeswoman also said the search would include feedback from the community.

Osborne did not respond to Patch's repeated requests for comment.

Osborne has a 90-day notice clause in his contract with SOMSD, according to a copy of the contract Patch obtained last week. This clause was a concern for some of the Ann Arbor trustees, with at least one saying she would like Osborne to be there for the first day of school, according to AnnArbor.com
 
The SOMSD voted last week to increase Osborne's salary from $208,000 to $220,001. The Ann Arbor Board of Education recently approved its salary range for the Superintendent position as between $180,000 to $220,000.