FONTANA – The Fontana Unified Board of Education on July 13 will consider approving the contracts of co-interim superintendents selected to ensure continued stability as the District prepares for the departure of Superintendent Dr. Leslie Boozer.

At a June 29 special board meeting, the Board of Education selected Dr. John R. Porter, Jr., a seasoned superintendent with more than 30 years of experience in education, and Randal Bassett, FUSD’s Associate Superintendent of Business Services who possesses nearly 20 years of management experience in the District.

If approved, the pair would partner to ensure a seamless transition by helming Fontana Unified as Boozer takes over the role of superintendent of the Dublin Unified School District in Northern California.

“In Mr. Bassett and Dr. Porter, we have a pair of experienced leaders who bring a balance of fresh influence and internal knowledge of the day-to-day operations of the District,” Board of Education President Lorena Corona said. “We are excited about the possibility of the pair building on the cornerstones of our success and enhancing the superintendent position as we continue to make progress toward selecting a permanent replacement.”

Bassett, who has been associate superintendent in Fontana Unified since 2013, provides leadership and supervision for the overall business services of the District. In all, he has spent 19 years in management at Fontana Unified, aiding in the District’s mission of empowering communities, engaging schools and making every student successful. Bassett’s career includes experience in K-12 education, higher education and the corporate sectors. In 2014, Bassett was named the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) regional Technology Administrator of the Year.

Porter most recently served as superintendent for the Franklin-McKinley School District in San Jose, retiring in 2015 and leaving the District on an upward trajectory. He previously served as the director of America’s Choice School Design: High Schools at the National Center on Education and the Economy. He has also served as a director of curriculum and instruction, principal and teacher. He has been a mentor, coach, and national consultant for the National Center on Education and the Economy and the Rand Corporation.

Fontana Unified will hold a special board meeting on July 22 to review requests for proposals from executive leadership search firms, which will help the District select a permanent superintendent.