North Putnam beginning search for superintendent

BAINBRIDGE -- “This is a good time of year to be looking for a new superintendent,” explained Indiana School Board Association (ISBA) representative Michael Adamson at North Putnam’s recent monthly meeting.

Signaling the departure of current Superintendent Dan Noel, the North Putnam school board has formally initiated plans to develop an application process for a new superintendent.

And with the aid of the ISBA, the district is now looking at a timeframe to replace Noel that will take approximately four months to complete.

“We’re here to work for you,” Adamson said, stressing that the organization looks only to “break even” when searching for new leadership. “This search process has been in use for a number of years and hasn’t changed dramatically because, after all, there are only a certain number of ways to slice that deck.

“Starting from scratch, the overall process is going to take you the better part of four months (to complete),” Adamson continued. “And keep in mind that there are 18 days at the tail end of it where you’re just kind of twiddling your thumbs ... you’ll have to advertise a proposed contract for 10 days; hold a meeting where the public can provide input; and wait an additional seven days before you can act on that proposed contract.”

Another matter Adamson addressed was that the board must quickly determine its overall “scope” of what it wants in a replacement. And with the ISBA looking only to break even on the search board-member participation is heavily encouraged.

The most important job for school board members will be the hiring of the district’s chief executive officer of the “multi-million dollar corporation” that is North Putnam, Adamson said.

“Some school corporations want (its) superintendent to have a doctorate degree; that’s not required, but some people expect that,” he explained. “Minimally, a superintendent’s license requires an education-specialist’s degree.

“Do you want the person to have central office experience?” he continued. “Are you willing to entertain a superintendent who has never been a superintendent before? Are you willing to entertain a building-level administrator who’s never been a superintendent before? -- With every qualification you put on the application, the pool gets smaller.”

Once the board has constructed its criteria and approved an application, the ISBA will then move to advertise the application in a number of ways, whether it is via the ISBA website (www.isba-ind.gov), the Department of Education’s website (www.doe.in.gov), the Superintendent Association’s website (www.iapss-in.gov) or by email to all of the school business officials in the state.

After receiving each application, the ISBA will review the applicants against any and all criteria laid out by the board and present charts to the board of who exactly the ISBA would recommend.

However, all applications will ultimately be in the hands of the school board, Adamson stated, both literally and figuratively.

“I would then present all of those applications to you,” Adamson said. “I don’t keep them -- I will turn them all over to this board one evening during an executive session, and then it will be the board’s job to review those applications. My review doesn’t really count, it’s just a place to get you started.

“It’s your review that counts.”

In other business:

• Being the first public board meeting of 2017, the board officially elected its officers for the year. They were: Amber Greene, president; Travis Lambermont, vice president; and Darrell Wiatt, secretary. See Greene’s story and transition at: bannergraphic.com/story/2377574.html.

In related news, Dustin Osborn, Mark Hoke, Greene and Wiatt were officially sworn-in at the beginning of the meeting after winning their respective seats in November.

Other officers voted into position on Jan. 11 were: Tanya Pearson, treasurer; Heather Lawson, assistant treasurer; Amanda Kesler, Karen Noel, Patty Jones and Katrina Watson, extra-curricular treasurers; Greene, financial president; and Lambermont, financial secretary.

However, Gene Hostetter failed to be reapproved as the board’s legal counsel via 4-2 vote. Noel and Lambermont will be meeting soon to create an advertisement for legal counsel.

• Two board members, Osborn and Wiatt, volunteered to serve as part of the Seclusion and Restraint Board Policy Committee.

• The board set its salary for 2017, keeping it at $2,000 per member.

• The school board will convene in a special session for an ISBA/IAPSS collective bargaining seminar on Feb. 24.

• The board approved a bid of $700 from Five Star Athletics Cheer and Dance Academy for a new cheer mat.

• The board approved a check from Johnson-Melloh for $15,888.02.

• The board disposed of several various outstanding checks.

• Members of the council approved the hiring, termination, resignation and retirement of several on Jan. 11. They were: Morgan Asher, approved as choral department accompanist at NPHS; Molly King, approved as FCA sponsor at NPHS; Elise Gilliatt, approved resignation as instructional aide at NPHS; Jim Wilson, approved resignation at maintenance worker; and Glenda Simpson, approved termination of custodian at Bainbridge Elementary.

• The board approved a change of date and time for its monthly sessions. The board will meet on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the administration offices in Bainbridge.

The next regularly-scheduled meeting will be on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.