In recent months, the board has debated over the benefits reaped from a part time, full time and shared position. Most stated they want a full-time superintendent and hoped to tack on a curriculum or testing position, too.
"I don't think it's going to cut down your applicants if you combined it as a curriculum director," said Schmidt. "Elementary principals and secondary principals both have to have a curriculum background."
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"I feel if we want full time results, we should have a full time person," said board member Dana Wiertzema. "However, that person should also do double duty. Others are doing double duty."
By adding the curriculum director position to the superintendent, Schmidt estimates the district would save $21,000. But Steve Arnhalt, board member, was concerned the effort to save would affect the quality of the candidate and cost them in the long run.
"If we don't get the right individual in here, it can cost us a lot as well," he said. "If we can save twenty, thirty thousand consolidating some positions, that's great. But this individual makes big decisions."
The board also continued last month's discussion over a consulting firm to aid it during the hiring process. A $289 savings marks the difference between the cost of the school board's independent search in 2007 and its use of the Owatanna, Minn.-based ADM Group last year.
"It was a lot more work on each individual board member to do it ourselves," said board member Dave Sayler. "It's just nice to have some direction from a consulting firm that does it all of the time."
After debating the coverage area of the two consulting firms, ADM and Grand Forks, N.D.-based McPherson and Jacobson, the board chose ADM and decided to expand its search outside of Minnesota. The firm's services cost an estimated $6,000 plus expenses.
In other business:
• The board expressed strong support for the high school robotics team and approved $1,000 to help fund its trip to Arkansas. It also approved parents who have the appropriate license and training to drive a school vehicle.
• The board approved to deny a grievance because "nothing contained in the grievance is false or inaccurate" and it was "not filed in a timely matter." After the meeting, Schmidt did not specify what the issue was about, stating he could only say it was a grievance.
breck parent wrote on Nov 23, 2009 12:48 PM: