Whitko To Begin Superintendent Search

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

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PIERCETON - As Whitko Community School Corporation loses their superintendent to a larger school system, school board members said they are working on a plan to find and keep a new superintendent.

The board approved current superintendent Dr. Jeff Hendrix's resignation at a meeting, Monday. Hendrix recently accepted a job as superintendent of Marion Community Schools. Hendrix's resignation goes into effect July 11.

School board member Dave Tranter said the board plans to hire an interim superintendent to take Hendrix's place until a full-time superintendent is hired. Tranter said the board currently is compiling a list of potential interim superintendents and plans to hire an interim within 30 days.

Tranter said finding and hiring a new full-time superintendent could take between two months and a year. He said the board will involve communities in the school district in the hiring process through several public meetings.

At the meeting, Whitko Middle School principal Jerry Klausing thanked Hendrix for working well with the school district's principals and commended him for successfully addressing the school corporation's challenges.

"Dr. Hendrix came on when a number of big issues were on the board," said Klausing, "dropping salaries, changing curriculum and changing the building situation."

Klausing told the board he thinks changes need to be made to help the school corporation keep a quality superintendent.

"I want to remind this board of a statement I made when we hired Dr. Hendrix," Klausing said. "Be prepared to support a superintendent financially and emotionally. If we get a good one, that's what it will take to keep them and I don't think we're doing that."

Tranter said retention needs to be part of the school corporation's plan as they search for a new superintendent.

"We're a smaller, rural district," Tranter said, "and we realize it will be a challenge to get and keep a good superintendent."[[In-content Ad]]

PIERCETON - As Whitko Community School Corporation loses their superintendent to a larger school system, school board members said they are working on a plan to find and keep a new superintendent.

The board approved current superintendent Dr. Jeff Hendrix's resignation at a meeting, Monday. Hendrix recently accepted a job as superintendent of Marion Community Schools. Hendrix's resignation goes into effect July 11.

School board member Dave Tranter said the board plans to hire an interim superintendent to take Hendrix's place until a full-time superintendent is hired. Tranter said the board currently is compiling a list of potential interim superintendents and plans to hire an interim within 30 days.

Tranter said finding and hiring a new full-time superintendent could take between two months and a year. He said the board will involve communities in the school district in the hiring process through several public meetings.

At the meeting, Whitko Middle School principal Jerry Klausing thanked Hendrix for working well with the school district's principals and commended him for successfully addressing the school corporation's challenges.

"Dr. Hendrix came on when a number of big issues were on the board," said Klausing, "dropping salaries, changing curriculum and changing the building situation."

Klausing told the board he thinks changes need to be made to help the school corporation keep a quality superintendent.

"I want to remind this board of a statement I made when we hired Dr. Hendrix," Klausing said. "Be prepared to support a superintendent financially and emotionally. If we get a good one, that's what it will take to keep them and I don't think we're doing that."

Tranter said retention needs to be part of the school corporation's plan as they search for a new superintendent.

"We're a smaller, rural district," Tranter said, "and we realize it will be a challenge to get and keep a good superintendent."[[In-content Ad]]
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