Washington approves sharing a superintendent with WACO

BY XIOMARA LEVSEN

Golden Triangle News Service

WASHINGTON ? The Washington School Board approved a 28E agreement with WACO for sharing a superintendent at its meeting Wednesday evening.

?They [the WACO Board of Education] will be making a recommendation to their board to enter into a sharing with Washington for superintendent at 70 [percent in Washington], 30 percent. So a day and a half there, three and a half here and everybody is on the same page,? said Washington superintendent Jeff Dicks.

The WACO Board of Education doesn?t meet until March 21, Dicks added. At the Washington School Board meeting Wednesday evening, operational sharing agreements were listed as an action item on the agenda.

WACO will reimburse Washington $66,327, for the time Dicks spends there but both districts will receive $51,500 from the state because of the sharing agreement, which is equal to eight students in enrollment.

Dicks also recommended the board approve another sharing agreements with WACO, for an operations manager

Board president Eric Turner asked Dicks if there was anything in expectations or standpoints that was different than what was discussed before. Dicks said no and the WACO board understood what the expectations would be of him. Washington would be the home district.

?The message is we are working together in a collaborative fashion because school funding is not where it?s at,? Dicks added. ?We?re addressing $1.1 million [budget reductions] and one of the things that I feel strongly about is it feels like I?m asking a lot of people to make some sacrifices and I?m right there with them. I?m willing to do that as well. To put everyone?s mind at ease, you all know I?ve been a shared superintendent. I know what I?m getting myself into.?

Dicks and the WACO board of Education have been talking on for two months, Dicks said.

?They are doing it for the right reasons and they were very united,? he added.

Turner agreed with Dicks.

?I think they did their homework just to try to find the right fit for them and I think they communicated that honestly to Jeff, too, and to myself,? Turner said. ?They said, ?We?re going to look into all these options,? and it?s not like we?re not certain with how they?ve communicated with other potential partners. They?ve been really up front with it.?

?I would also say up front publicly it?s been very clear publicly that WACO?s looking to share a superintendent and who they were looking to do that with,? board member Stephanie Ellingson added. ?I?m glad that this can fit.?

The board approved the operational sharing agreements unanimously. Board member Patty Roe was absent.

WACO Board of Education president Tim Graber said today in a press release, they look forward to working with Dicks.

?We could not be more pleased to have the opportunity to work with Jeff Dicks, who is in his first year with Washington and has nine years of proven leadership, to serve as superintendent,? Graber said. ?After a couple of months of talking with potential shared candidates, Jeff Dicks from Washington has been recommended to serve as a shared superintendent. With Jeff?s past experience and leadership style, he seems like the perfect fit for the WACO district.?

Once WACO approves the operational sharing agreements at its meeting March 21. Sharing positions will begin on July 1, 2016.