New London to pursue full-time superintendent

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

NEW LONDON ? Despite some varying opinions on the matter, the New London School Board was able to come together to agree on pursuing a full-time superintendent Monday evening, officially throwing their hat into the already packed ring of local school districts actively seeking a new leader for next year.

With a unanimous decision to do without a superintendent search firm, the board also agreed during their Monday night work session that many of the same qualities the district was looking for in a superintendent during their last search in 2012 would be just as important now.

After referring back to materials from the school?s superintendent search that eventually led to the hiring of current superintendent Steve McAllister, the board agreed that their ideal candidate would be someone who was accountable, experienced in capital construction projects and technologically savvy in order to further the district?s already thriving 1:1 laptop initiative.

?We definitely want someone who is committed to moving us ahead,? said board member Jesse Howard. ?And we certainly don?t want to fall back or stay stagnant. I think we need someone who is committed to keeping our momentum going in the right direction and keeping students at the forefront.?

And although the board was happy to have finally made the step to put out advertisements for applications, they were all still very much aware that one of the biggest challenges moving ahead will be maintaining a healthy school budget. With several building projects on their radar along with a slew of state budget matters that have yet to be decided by legislators, future year?s budgets are still relatively unsettled.

?We do have work projects, especially the roof of the elementary that has to get fixed. Right now, we are okay in terms of the budget, but the roof must be fixed next year - that?s not an option,? said board secretary/treasurer Jessica Boyer. ?So, moving forward with a full-time superintendent is a big financial decision, whereas a shared superintendent or a part-time one would be financially cheaper...We just have to watch our budget very carefully as it could change a lot in a year?s time.?

And while the board felt that a full-time superintendent would be the best option overall for the district going forward, they were also in agreement that there was a degree of merit to considering a shared or part-time superintendent.

?I do think that we have a great staff that would be more than capable of holding things together if we were to share a superintendent or hire someone part-time,? said board member Travis Benz. ?But I also think a full-time superintendent might keep the staff?s workload down. I know how much our staff already does. I don?t want to add even more to their plate.?

Budget was also a concern for elementary principal, Todd Palmatier. He cited past budget cuts as being a negative thing for the school as a whole.

?I agree that our teaching staff is solid. And when Scott (Kracht) and I have talked with staff, I know budget is a concern for them too,? said Palmatier, referencing the New London Middle School/High School principal. ?We all remember when we have had to cut staff and programs because of budget in the past, and that was not fun. I just want to be sure that as we go forward, we are being mindful of that for the sake of our students and our faculty.?

With all this in mind, the board will begin advertising for a superintendent on Dec. 8, and will receive applications until Jan. 8, 2016.

After the first of the year, the board will announce a time for another work session to further discuss desired qualifications of a new superintendent, as well as putting together a hiring committee.