Bailey Returns As Interim Superintendent
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
At a special meeting at noon Friday, the Warsaw School Board approved employing Bailey, of Columbia City. He previously served as interim superintendent after the resignation of Dr. Dave McGuire, serving from August 2005 to February 2006.
On Feb. 20, 2006, the school board named Dr. Robert Haworth as superintendent. But on July 7, Haworth resigned effective July 31. Haworth accepted a vice presidency position with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in Kansas City, Mo., and will be in charge of the Champions of Character Initiative.
In announcing the school board's decision to name Bailey as interim superintendent, board president Ron Yeiter said they did a thorough review of the available interim superintendent candidates. With the departure of Haworth, the board wanted an interim superintendent who knew Warsaw Schools well and could work on the new building project.
At the end of the 2003-04 school year, Atwood, Silver Lake and Claypool elementary schools were closed. Since then, students at those schools have been transported to other schools, contributing to overcrowding problems.
On May 21, 2007, the school board approved moving forward with Step 1 of Option A. Step 1 includes building a new Leesburg and Madison elementary schools, and expanding and renovating Jefferson and Claypool schools. The total bond issue originally was slated for $65 million, but was approved at $59.16 million by State Tax Control Board Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave in December.
The new and renovated schools are slated to be completed in time for the 2010-2011 school year.
After board member Tammy Dalton made a motion to approve Bailey, and Gene England seconded it, board member Chuck Sauders expressed his concern with hiring Bailey.
"The only hesitance I have is the amount of money we're going to pay him," said Sauders. He said people have expressed to him their concern that paying Bailey $500 per day was a lot of money. Sauders said he'd like to see that fee reduced.
Yeiter said Bailey will not work every day, but only when he needs to serve. Also, the school board will negotiate Bailey's fee. Bailey is expected to begin his duties Monday.
Dan Robinson, board vice president, said hiring Bailey as interim superintendent will provide the board with more adequate time to study the candidates for superintendent. They don't want to rush into a decision, or make a mistake, he said.
In the two years since Bailey last served as interim superintendent, Yeiter said, Bailey has still been in touch with the Warsaw School Corp. so it will not be difficult to get him up to speed.
England said Bailey will only serve as interim until Jan. 1, unless a new superintendent can not be found by then, or unless the board finds a permanent replacement for superintendent.
The board then unanimously approved Bailey.
An administrators organizational chart also was unanimously approved.
Included in the chart are the positions of director of K-6 operations, and director of 7-12 operations.
Chris Gensinger, who was the Eisenhower Elementary principal, will serve as the K-6 director, as well as the assistant to the superintendent. When Bailey is not available, Gensinger will fulfill Bailey's duties as is possible. Gensinger has worked for WCS for 20 years.
However, Gensinger is the assistant to the superintendent, not the assistant superintendent. Gensinger is not licensed to be an assistant superintendent.
"I think that's very important to understand," said Wiggins.
Tom Kline, who was the Lakeview Middle School principal, will be the grades 7-12 director. Kline served as LMS's principal for seven years.
Replacing Kline at LMS as principal will be Jon Lippe. Lippe was the assistant principal at Edgewood Middle School for the past three years.
Melissa Rees, the assistant principal at Harrison Elementary School, will be the principal at Eisenhower Elementary. Before serving as assistant principal at Harrison for three years, Rees was a teacher at Leesburg Elementary School.[[In-content Ad]]
At a special meeting at noon Friday, the Warsaw School Board approved employing Bailey, of Columbia City. He previously served as interim superintendent after the resignation of Dr. Dave McGuire, serving from August 2005 to February 2006.
On Feb. 20, 2006, the school board named Dr. Robert Haworth as superintendent. But on July 7, Haworth resigned effective July 31. Haworth accepted a vice presidency position with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in Kansas City, Mo., and will be in charge of the Champions of Character Initiative.
In announcing the school board's decision to name Bailey as interim superintendent, board president Ron Yeiter said they did a thorough review of the available interim superintendent candidates. With the departure of Haworth, the board wanted an interim superintendent who knew Warsaw Schools well and could work on the new building project.
At the end of the 2003-04 school year, Atwood, Silver Lake and Claypool elementary schools were closed. Since then, students at those schools have been transported to other schools, contributing to overcrowding problems.
On May 21, 2007, the school board approved moving forward with Step 1 of Option A. Step 1 includes building a new Leesburg and Madison elementary schools, and expanding and renovating Jefferson and Claypool schools. The total bond issue originally was slated for $65 million, but was approved at $59.16 million by State Tax Control Board Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave in December.
The new and renovated schools are slated to be completed in time for the 2010-2011 school year.
After board member Tammy Dalton made a motion to approve Bailey, and Gene England seconded it, board member Chuck Sauders expressed his concern with hiring Bailey.
"The only hesitance I have is the amount of money we're going to pay him," said Sauders. He said people have expressed to him their concern that paying Bailey $500 per day was a lot of money. Sauders said he'd like to see that fee reduced.
Yeiter said Bailey will not work every day, but only when he needs to serve. Also, the school board will negotiate Bailey's fee. Bailey is expected to begin his duties Monday.
Dan Robinson, board vice president, said hiring Bailey as interim superintendent will provide the board with more adequate time to study the candidates for superintendent. They don't want to rush into a decision, or make a mistake, he said.
In the two years since Bailey last served as interim superintendent, Yeiter said, Bailey has still been in touch with the Warsaw School Corp. so it will not be difficult to get him up to speed.
England said Bailey will only serve as interim until Jan. 1, unless a new superintendent can not be found by then, or unless the board finds a permanent replacement for superintendent.
The board then unanimously approved Bailey.
An administrators organizational chart also was unanimously approved.
Included in the chart are the positions of director of K-6 operations, and director of 7-12 operations.
Chris Gensinger, who was the Eisenhower Elementary principal, will serve as the K-6 director, as well as the assistant to the superintendent. When Bailey is not available, Gensinger will fulfill Bailey's duties as is possible. Gensinger has worked for WCS for 20 years.
However, Gensinger is the assistant to the superintendent, not the assistant superintendent. Gensinger is not licensed to be an assistant superintendent.
"I think that's very important to understand," said Wiggins.
Tom Kline, who was the Lakeview Middle School principal, will be the grades 7-12 director. Kline served as LMS's principal for seven years.
Replacing Kline at LMS as principal will be Jon Lippe. Lippe was the assistant principal at Edgewood Middle School for the past three years.
Melissa Rees, the assistant principal at Harrison Elementary School, will be the principal at Eisenhower Elementary. Before serving as assistant principal at Harrison for three years, Rees was a teacher at Leesburg Elementary School.[[In-content Ad]]
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