Topeka Capital-Journal
Talk to superintendents, and they will say that much of their job revolves around figuring out how to make decisions that make the fewest people angry.
That way, if you manage to upset 10% in a given year, after five years, you will only have angered half of the community, joked David Howard, superintendent at Basehor-Linwood Unified School District 458.
He was only half joking, and that has become especially clear in one of the most difficult years for Kansas education on record.
Accustomed to the pressures of stretching school funding to make the most of every dollar or making unpopular decisions like declining to have snow days, Kansas superintendents this year are being pushed past their limits, leading to a significant increase in superintendent resignations and early retirements.
School board proceeds with superintendent search
The school district’s current superintendent, David Howard, has announced he will retire this summer.
School board members held a special meeting Monday afternoon to meet with representatives of the Kansas Association of School Boards.
The organization will be assisting the board with the search for a new superintendent.
“You’re going to have a lot of qualified candidates apply for the job based on your location, based on your reputation, your size,” said Brian Jordan, deputy executive director of KASB.
Jordan said the Basehor-Linwood school system is a growing district with a strong reputation.
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The Emporia Public Schools Board of Education officially began the search for USD 253âs new superintendent Wednesday, approving a job search agreement with the Kansas Association of School Boards.
âRight now in Kansas, weâre at about 25 [superintendent] openings, which is up from where it typically is at this time of year⦠â said KASB Deputy Executive Director Brian Jordan. âIn a heavier year, weâve been at around 12-15 openings at this time⦠The COVID pandemic stress has taken a toll on educators across the state, and I think itâs contributing to that. The good news is that ⦠there really arenât a lot of other districts [searching] in your region that are of a similar size.â