Washington, WACO to share superintendent

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

WAYLAND ? WACO Community School District will welcome its third superintendent in as many years when Jeff Dicks assumes the post on July 1.

The WACO School Board, meeting in regular session Monday night, approved the selection of Dicks as its new leader. Dicks currently is in his first year as superintendent of the Washington Community School District.

Dicks, however, has been a shared superintendent in the past, having headed the Newell-Fonda and Albert City-Truesdale school districts before coming to Washington.

WACO directors approved the appointment unanimously and Washington had given its approval earlier this month.

The 28E agreement has Dicks spending 30 percent of his time in WACO or roughly 1.5 days. WACO will pick up 30 percent of Dicks? total package ? salary and benefits ? cost.

According to figures supplied in January by WACO Superintendent Fred Whipple, Dicks? total package this school year is $207,469, meaning WACO would have paid Washington $62,240.70 for his services had he been a shared superintendent this year. Administrative salaries for the 2016-17 school year have not yet been established by the Washington School Board, so Dicks? compensation from WACO is unknown.

By sharing a superintendent, WACO will receive state funding for eight students, or roughly $52,500, Whipple said.

?We knew we were going to share (a superintendent),? WACO School Board President Tim Graber said Monday night. ?Fred was willing to stay and we wanted him to stay. However, he recommended to take the money and run (through sharing a superintendent).?

Graber said that he and school board member Amy McLaughlin talked to eight different school districts about sharing a superintendent and met with three superintendents and their respective school board representatives.

WACO directors then interviewed Dicks in a closed session on March 8. ?We were really impressed by what he had to say,? Graber said.

Whipple is working two days a week this school year at WACO and replaced Dr. Darrell Smith, who also was a part-time superintendent. Whipple is being paid $48,505.60 in salary and benefits.

School board members also approved the lease of six Bluebird gasoline-powered school buses from School Bus Sales of Iowa. The 71-passenger buses will cost the district $75,474 per year during the three-year lease.

WACO had considered going with propane buses, but there was a significant cost difference between gasoline and propane. The difference in three-year lease costs for 70-gallon propane buses was $118,746. Propane buses with a 98-gallon gas tank would have cost the district $45,000 more than the gasoline buses.

In addition, WACO would have had to purchase a propane tank and other related equipment, which Whipple said would cost around $10,000.

The district will receive $14,100 for the trade-in of two buses.

In personnel matters, early-retirement requests from Marcia Peterson, third-grade teacher; Jennifer Kaufman, elementary school nurse; and Chris Alvine, elementary school associate, were approved.

Directors also accepted the resignations of Gary Vroom, elementary teacher associate; and Wendy Leichty, high-school nurse.

The 2016-17 school calendar was approved. Classes will begin on Aug. 22 and the school year will end May 18.

Highlights of the calendar include a Thanksgiving break from Nov. 21-28 and Christmas vacation from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3, 2017. Spring break will be from March 13-19, 2017 and Easter break will be April 14-17, 2017. Graduation is set for Mary 14, 2017.

More news from the board meeting will be published in Wednesday?s News.

WACO board members meet again in regular session Monday, April 18, at 6:30 p.m., at the secondary building in Wayland.