Former CPS superintendent is finalist for same position at Delaware school district

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Former Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Brian Yearwood is once again a finalist to lead another school district.

The Christina School District in Newark, Delaware, announced on its Facebook page on Friday that Yearwood is one-of-three finalists for its superintendent position. Yearwood is expected to appear at a forum that school district is holding at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 10. Yearwood is listed as “Harold (Brian) Yearwood” on the school’s social media and website.

Yearwood stepped down from his position as CPS superintendent in November and was paid $667,268.90 in a contract buyout. Yearwood was hired in 2021. He was under contract through June 2027, making about $260,000 per year. Chris Belcher was named the district’s interim superintendent before Jeff Klein was hired last month.

CPS announced in November that Yearwood would step down immediately “to spend time with family in Texas,” previous reporting indicates. Yearwood announced in August that he had been diagnosed with cancer. That diagnosis was not mentioned in his resignation letter.

Yearwood was recently a finalist for a superintendent position in Garden City, Kansas. At a community forum held by that school district in January, Yearwood was asked what his most-vocal critic would say about him as a school leader.

“They would say he doesn't have much patience for red tape that slows down the process of getting things done to benefit scholars. I've had to sort of temper because there, there, there are rules you must follow,” he said in the video. “And again, I'm not talking about circumventing rules or doing anything. That's not it. But sometimes, when we know something is great for a scholar or scholars or school, sometimes the process gets bogged down.”

Yearwood’s separation agreement with CPS states that he agreed to the mutual public statement between the two parties and cannot make any further public statements.