WACO?s superintendent search leads to Washington, Columbus

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

WAYLAND ? WACO School District?s search for a superintendent has the district looking northward, school board members learned during Monday night?s regular meeting at the secondary building in Wayland.

Interim WACO Superintendent Fred Whipple said WACO officials have had informal talks with both the Washington and Columbus Community School (Columbus Junction) districts about sharing a superintendent during the 2016-17 school year.

?We?ve talked to both Columbus and Washington, the discussion is ongoing and that is a good thing,? Whipple noted.

Not only has WACO talked with school board members from both districts, but they have spoken to Washington Superintendent Jeff Dicks and Columbus Superintendent Gary Benda. Both superintendents are in their first year with their respective school districts.

?We?re still trying to get the numbers firmed up,? WACO School Board President Tim Graber said. ?We will probably have a special meeting soon. We met with both superintendents and both are willing and interested.?

Whipple said finances are the driving force in the potential sharing agreement. ?Most (superintendents) would not (be willing to be shared) if not for the money.?

The state has a lucrative financial package to encourage personnel sharing between school districts. If WACO were to share a superintendent, it would receive supplemental weighting. Weighting is state financial aid, based on enrollment, given to school districts. For example, sharing a superintendent is worth an additional eight students in weighting. Currently, the state funds school districts $6,570 per student, meaning the district would receive $52,560 in additional state aid.

A school district can receive a maximum of 21 students in supplemental weighting for sharing. WACO already shares three positions with other school districts ? guidance counselor with Highland, maintenance and transportation directors with Washington ? and those three shared positions net WACO an additional 13 students in weighting. Therefore, if the district were to share a superintendent, its supplemental weighting would be maxed out.

Whipple encouraged the district to look at sharing a superintendent during the board?s January meeting. He has maintained a desire to return to the district next year, but said the financial incentives may be too good to pass up. Whipple?s total package during the 2016-17 school year would be just under $50,000.

Washington Superintendent jeff Dicks receives a total annual package (salary and benefits) of $207,469, according to Whipple. Meanwhile, Columbus Superintendent Gary Benda?s total package is $184,408. If WACO were to contract for two days per week, which is what Whipple serves, the district would have to pay Washington $82,987.60. If WACO had the same arrangement with Columbus, the cost would be $73,763.20. However, it should be remembered that WACO would receive $52,560 from the state in supplemental weighting for sharing a superintendent.

Washington and Columbus both have financial reasons to share, too. Enrollment in the Washington Community School District dropped by 50 students for the current school term, meaning the district will lose nearly $350,000 in state aid next school year. State funding is always one year behind, meaning school districts this school year are receiving state aid based on enrollment during the 2014-15 school year.

Columbus also has had some financial hurdles to overcome. Current Superintendent Benda also serves as high school principal and the district had to make significant budget cuts last spring.

WACO also will be taking out the scissors this spring. Whipple told the board that he is projecting a $150,000 budget deficit for fiscal 2017.

?We can get to $70,000 (deficit) with little or no change, but after that it gets rough,? Whipple warned the board. ?We have some elementary classes with 30 or more students. I told Jeff (Nance, secondary principal) and Vicky (Reynolds, elementary principal) to examine bringing the sixth grade to Wayland.? The elementary school in Crawfordsville currently houses students in grades pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.

?Next year is a crucial year,? Whipple continued. ?We will know a lot more in April, but we are going to have to make some hard decisions We have about $400,000 less in state aid and property taxes for the current budget year.?

If WACO has to reduce staff, teachers must receive notice by April 30, the superintendent noted.

Adding insult to injury, WACO learned recently that employee health insurance premiums would increase by 9.9 percent next year because claims exceeded premiums last year.

WACO directors meet again in regular session on Monday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m., at the secondary building.