Superintendent Sharing
By Dave Ackerman
Hello and welcome to the 2008-2009 school year. It is my hope that the up-coming year continues to provide wonderful educational opportunities for our students that our district has enjoyed for many years and our communities have come to expect. With all the details and issues that arise within any school year, it is important to remember that the sole and main purpose of a school district is to provide a quality education to all children of the district. That one purpose must always be at the heart of any decision that is made in regard to the operation of the district.
This year will be challenging for me personally as I will be the shared superintendent between the Central Lyon and George–Little Rock school districts. Earlier this spring the school boards of the two districts approved sharing the superintendent position for one year. Central Lyon will hold the contract, and George–Little Rock will pay for the contracted services of the superintendent for 40% of the time. Essentially three days a week will be spent at Central Lyon and two days a week will be spent in the George–Little Rock district.
This decision was entered into with a great deal of discussion and thought. This idea is not entirely new—sharing superintendents is occurring in approximately twelve other schools in the state of Iowa. Schools which currently share a superintendent were referenced, and all indicated that it could be done with some concessions. It is anticipated that the principals and central office staff of both districts will be picking up extra duties to accommodate this experiment.
A key issue which weighed heavily in the decision to share was the incentives offered by the legislature. In addition to the savings of paying one superintendent rather than two, both districts will qualify for extra weighting and dollars from the state incentive program. It is estimated that Central Lyon will save approximately $35,000 in salary and benefits and receive approximately $75,000 from the state incentive program, and George-Little Rock will save approximately $45,000 in salary and benefits while receiving approximately $55,000 from the state. Each district will realize over $100,000 of savings and income for one year in the program. The effectiveness of the sharing will be analyzed by both boards and a decision to continue will be made by February, 2009. I ask for everyone’s cooperation and patience as we begin this endeavor.
As I stated in the opening paragraph, the most important purpose of our public schools is to provide a quality education to all students. That purpose must continue to be the top priority. If you ever have the need to contact me, please feel free to call the central offices of either district. I look forward to a great year in education!
