DAVENPORT, Iowa-- The Davenport School Board voted to accept Superintendent Art Tate’s resignation, Monday, October 29.
Only one board member, Clyde Mayfield voted no, saying he would rather see Tate stay through the end of his contract in June.
“To allow him to just walk away… something just doesn’t see right,” says Mayfield.
School Board President Ralph Johanson says the district has already spent between $24,000 and $26,000 hiring a recruitment agency, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates.
“They have started the process and we have a whole lot of interviews that are occurring with people in the community,” says Johanson.
Johanson says the outside company plans to hold a number of interviews Thursday and Friday to form a focus group.
The group will help set the criteria for the next superintendent.
Parents and teachers say whoever replaces Tate, should be prepared to deal with the district’s falling enrollment, list of proposed budget cuts laid out in the Vision 20/20 plan and improving the Special Education programs.
“With the Special Education audit going on, I think we’re doing our best right now to turn that around. I think whoever comes in, needs to be ready for that and has to come in with a plan,” says teacher Joe Whittemore.
The district also must submit a revised version of the Vison 20/20 plan to the state School Budget Review Committee in December.
The review must show that the district is working to make major budget cuts.
“…We still have the responsibility of going back to the SBRC in December with a plan. The Vision 2020 plan that has been mostly Dr. Tate’s brain child is still the essence of what is going to be presented,” says Johanson.
Tate’s last day is Wednesday, October 31.
The school board plans to announce an interim superintendent Tuesday, October 30 during their special meeting at 4:30. They hope to hire a permanent replacement by June 30.