WCS Names Interim Superintendent
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Six to one, the Warsaw Community School Board voted Tuesday night to offer the interim superintendent job to Ralph J. Bailey, Columbia City.
As part of the motion made by board member Dan Robinson, board members Robinson, Tammy Dalton and Ron Yeiter will negotiate the terms of the contract with Bailey.
Board member Cathy Folk said she voted "no" because she did not get to meet any of the candidates in a board session.
Later in the meeting, board member Chuck Sauders said he knows Bailey and worked with him previously. "He's a very competent and nice person," he said. However, Sauders said he was hesitant to vote "yes" on Bailey because of the rate of pay he receives as interim superintendent.
In a consultant agreement Bailey provided to the school board previously that Bailey used with nine other school corporations, the agreement states: "For all consulting days Bailey shall be paid $495 per day." He also will receive 40 cents per mile traveled in his own vehicle while acting in a consultant capacity. Mileage is to be paid from his office in Columbia City to Warsaw Community Schools and back to Columbia City.
In Bailey's letter to the school board with his resume, Bailey states he will be available to serve three to five days a week in the position.
The consultant agreement is on a day-to-day basis and may be terminated immediately without cause by either Bailey or the school board. Any agreement between Bailey and the school board, however, must still be approved by the school board.
Bailey was not at the meeting Tuesday, but faxed a letter to the Times-Union today with his comments. In the letter, in part, Bailey wrote: "A number of people are saying to me, 'Do you know what you are getting into?' I tell them I am getting into one of the better schools in the state. ...
"It is a good school corporation and hopefully during my stay here as interim superintendent I can help to make it even a better one.
"Communication between the superintendent, school board, parents, community, staff and students is my major goal.
"The key to any great corporation is a staff that is well trained, responsible and dedicated to doing what is best for children.
"One of my goals is to serve the board, staff, parents and community to achieve the best possible education for the students.
"I didn't come to Warsaw to just sit behind a desk. Together we can make a good school corporation even better."
Bailey graduated from Pierceton High School, received his bachelor's degree from Manchester College and his master's degree from Indiana University. He received his superintendent's certificate from Ball State University.
He served in the Army Air Force.
He taught at Coesse School, Columbia City, 1951-53; was elementary principal at Etna Troy, Columbia City, 1953-63; principal at Cromwell K-12, 1963-66; superintendent for Columbia City Schools 1966-89; elementary principal and consultant at Waterford, Goshen, 1991-92; taught class and supervised elementary teachers at Manchester College, 1993-96; and served as interim superintendent at Whitko, Wabash, Westview, Smith-Green Schools, Fairfield Schools, Argos Community Schools and North Miami Community Schools.
Along with receiving such awards as the Sagamore of the Wabash, Bailey is a member of American Legion, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Royal Order of the Moose and several other organizations.
Other candidates for the interim superintendent job included former Warsaw Community High School principal Richard Kline, current WCHS principal Dr. Jennifer Brumfield and Warsaw Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sandra Hess. At the end of the meeting, Yeiter thanked the candidates for stepping up and offering themselves for the position.
Yeiter also said Bailey will just serve as interim superintendent. Bailey is not interested in becoming Warsaw's full-time superintendent. Bailey's duties will be the same as a superintendent and he will work closely with Hess.
At the July 27 school board meeting, the school board accepted Superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire's resignation and settlement agreement, also by a vote of six to one, with Folk again opposed. The agreement with McGuire allows his contract to be terminated, but he will act as a consultant for the school corporation until Jan. 13 or until he finds a full-time employment, whichever is first. During the extended period, McGuire will receive the same salary, retirement and insurance benefits to which he is entitled under his superintendent's contract.
At Tuesday's school board meeting, Lakeview Middle School teacher Sherry Plummer asked how much McGuire would receive for those six months as a consultant. Robinson replied McGuire will receive approximately $64,000, including benefits.
Plummer said, "I (will) be watching very closely what we get for our $64,000."
"No. 1, the costs are coming out of the general fund and we are all concerned about that," said Robinson later. "We don't like it either but we feel this is what we need to do." [[In-content Ad]]
Six to one, the Warsaw Community School Board voted Tuesday night to offer the interim superintendent job to Ralph J. Bailey, Columbia City.
As part of the motion made by board member Dan Robinson, board members Robinson, Tammy Dalton and Ron Yeiter will negotiate the terms of the contract with Bailey.
Board member Cathy Folk said she voted "no" because she did not get to meet any of the candidates in a board session.
Later in the meeting, board member Chuck Sauders said he knows Bailey and worked with him previously. "He's a very competent and nice person," he said. However, Sauders said he was hesitant to vote "yes" on Bailey because of the rate of pay he receives as interim superintendent.
In a consultant agreement Bailey provided to the school board previously that Bailey used with nine other school corporations, the agreement states: "For all consulting days Bailey shall be paid $495 per day." He also will receive 40 cents per mile traveled in his own vehicle while acting in a consultant capacity. Mileage is to be paid from his office in Columbia City to Warsaw Community Schools and back to Columbia City.
In Bailey's letter to the school board with his resume, Bailey states he will be available to serve three to five days a week in the position.
The consultant agreement is on a day-to-day basis and may be terminated immediately without cause by either Bailey or the school board. Any agreement between Bailey and the school board, however, must still be approved by the school board.
Bailey was not at the meeting Tuesday, but faxed a letter to the Times-Union today with his comments. In the letter, in part, Bailey wrote: "A number of people are saying to me, 'Do you know what you are getting into?' I tell them I am getting into one of the better schools in the state. ...
"It is a good school corporation and hopefully during my stay here as interim superintendent I can help to make it even a better one.
"Communication between the superintendent, school board, parents, community, staff and students is my major goal.
"The key to any great corporation is a staff that is well trained, responsible and dedicated to doing what is best for children.
"One of my goals is to serve the board, staff, parents and community to achieve the best possible education for the students.
"I didn't come to Warsaw to just sit behind a desk. Together we can make a good school corporation even better."
Bailey graduated from Pierceton High School, received his bachelor's degree from Manchester College and his master's degree from Indiana University. He received his superintendent's certificate from Ball State University.
He served in the Army Air Force.
He taught at Coesse School, Columbia City, 1951-53; was elementary principal at Etna Troy, Columbia City, 1953-63; principal at Cromwell K-12, 1963-66; superintendent for Columbia City Schools 1966-89; elementary principal and consultant at Waterford, Goshen, 1991-92; taught class and supervised elementary teachers at Manchester College, 1993-96; and served as interim superintendent at Whitko, Wabash, Westview, Smith-Green Schools, Fairfield Schools, Argos Community Schools and North Miami Community Schools.
Along with receiving such awards as the Sagamore of the Wabash, Bailey is a member of American Legion, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Royal Order of the Moose and several other organizations.
Other candidates for the interim superintendent job included former Warsaw Community High School principal Richard Kline, current WCHS principal Dr. Jennifer Brumfield and Warsaw Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sandra Hess. At the end of the meeting, Yeiter thanked the candidates for stepping up and offering themselves for the position.
Yeiter also said Bailey will just serve as interim superintendent. Bailey is not interested in becoming Warsaw's full-time superintendent. Bailey's duties will be the same as a superintendent and he will work closely with Hess.
At the July 27 school board meeting, the school board accepted Superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire's resignation and settlement agreement, also by a vote of six to one, with Folk again opposed. The agreement with McGuire allows his contract to be terminated, but he will act as a consultant for the school corporation until Jan. 13 or until he finds a full-time employment, whichever is first. During the extended period, McGuire will receive the same salary, retirement and insurance benefits to which he is entitled under his superintendent's contract.
At Tuesday's school board meeting, Lakeview Middle School teacher Sherry Plummer asked how much McGuire would receive for those six months as a consultant. Robinson replied McGuire will receive approximately $64,000, including benefits.
Plummer said, "I (will) be watching very closely what we get for our $64,000."
"No. 1, the costs are coming out of the general fund and we are all concerned about that," said Robinson later. "We don't like it either but we feel this is what we need to do." [[In-content Ad]]