Greater Clark County Schools: Hello Dr. Daeschner

After a day filled with meetings, meet-and-greets and more, Stephen Daeschner ended Wednesday with a reception thrown in his honor.

About 100 people came to the private reception at 300 Spring in Jeffersonville to welcome Daeschner to his new post as superintendent of Greater Clark County Schools, effective July 1.

His contract was approved at a school board meeting Wednesday morning and signed later by Daeschner. The three-year agreement includes an annual salary of $225,000, $1,500 a month for up to 24 months to allow him time to sell his home, family health insurance and more.

The contract states that donations will be sought to help pay his salary. Missy DeArk, board secretary, said the board has $150,000 budgeted for the position. However, the contract states that if funds aren’t raised, the school corporation will have to pay whatever is left of the $225,000.

Larry Wilder, attorney for the school board, said that though details are still being worked out, people should be able to donate to the school corporation directly and anonymously if they want, or to a given foundation that would forward that money on to Greater Clark with their name available publicly, which would allow the donor to use it as a tax write off.

Becka Christensen, board member, supported the move, saying that schools receive donations all the time and this is no different.

“It is no different than a football booster group or than a golf scramble; they are all private dollars helping schools,” she said.

Christina Gilkey, board member, said she is against the way Daeschner will be paid.

“It’s about how much Greater Clark schools is on the line for,” she said. “We’re already operating on a deficit budget. If funding doesn’t come through, something will have to be cut.”

Jeffersonville Mayor Tom Galligan said at a press conference with Daeschner that he’s tired of people talking just about the figures.

“You’ve got to pay for what you get,” Galligan said. “This is a $100 million school corporation and we’re sitting here quibbling over [$225,000] ... Now, we can pay somebody $125,000 and think we got a steal .. and if they don’t do anything for education it’s a failure. It’s a waste of $125,000.”

Galligan said he supports the board’s decision and said this is an investment in kids.

“We’ve got to take a chance, because we’ve got to change the direction this community is going in,” he added.

Bob McEwen, board president, said Daeschner is the person needed to do just that.

“His passion is very clear. His leadership is very clear. We need a strong leader to lead our ship,” McEwen said, earlier saying that this is the third time he’s voted to hire a superintendent in his seven years on the board.

Daeschner said he’s up to the task, adding that Greater Clark having Title 1 schools and not making Adequate Yearly Progress and more are examples of challenges he enjoys.

“I came into this to help kids,” he said.

Daeschner said the move to Clark County was made based on that as well as the weather being less windy and cold than the Chicago area, friends here and more.

“I view this area as my second home,” Daeschner said with a smile on his face.

When asked about him leaving his three-year contract with Indian Prairie District 204 in Illinois a year early, he said he had every intention of fulfilling that contract.

However, he said “I had an opportunity to return to an area I enjoy.”

Ned Pfau, a community business leader, was one of those in attendance.

“I think he’s a great man with a lot of ability,” Pfau said. “I think it will be a new era of leadership and I think it’s a good step for the school system.”

He said that he thinks Daeschner has the “experience and expertise” to help the educational system in Clark County, which would in turn help with economic development.

Charlestown Mayor Bob Hall said he hopes Daeschner will help form community partnerships with the schools to achieve goals, such as the one-to-one computer initiative, which is beginning in Hall’s city.

“We’re optimistic we’ll be able to do that,” he said of the partnerships.

Nick Wiese, president of the teachers’ association, said he’s ready to support Daeschner, but is worried how teachers will feel about his salary.

“It will be very difficult for me to go back to my teachers saying they have to pay $6,000 out of their pocket for health insurance for their family, but here we are paying an administrator that [$225,000] amount,” he said. “We’re in a money crunch. How can we afford to pay this?”

As for donations going toward that, Wiese said all of those should remain private. He said otherwise, it puts Daeschner in a tough position when it comes to making decisions.

Wiese said he hopes this appointment will help kids in the end.

“Hopefully, he can bring something to the table that will help us provide educational opportunities for our kids,” Wiese said.

Today, the association will start negotiations on a new contract with the corporation, he added. The existing contract ends in about three weeks, Wiese said. He said Daeschner does have a good track record of settling contracts in a timely manner.

Daeschner will replace Travis Haire, who is serving as interim superintendent. Haire formerly worked as director of student services. Haire said he’s unsure of what he will be doing come July 1.

Details of contract released

• Under the contract, Stephen Daeschner will serve as Greater Clark superintendent July 1 through June 30, 2012, with the option to renew for two one-year periods if agreed upon by both parties.

• He will be paid $225,000 for working 260 days out of the year.

• The superintendent will be entitled to 20 days of vacation leave per year after the first year.

• The first year, he will get 1.7 days vacation per month.

• The board will pay Daeschner $1,500 per month for up to 24 months while he attempts to sell his home in Illinois at the “fair market value.”

• Greater Clark has the option to attempt to secure acceptable housing for Daeschner if it becomes available as a result of a gift to Greater Clark and/or its foundation. Daeschner will have the right to approve that housing.

• The board will reimburse Daeschner for “reasonable and actual moving and relocation expenses.”

• The board will give the superintendent an automobile and pay all operating expenses for official and reasonable use.

• The board will provide the superintendent with family health and dental insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance and group term life insurance.

• The superintendent will have an annual physical examination performed at a medical facility contracted for administrative medical examinations.

• The board may end this contract early if providing a minimum of 90 days notice to Daeschner. If that happens, the board has to pay Daeschner all the compensation and the cash value of the fringe benefits that he would have received had this contract been in force for the rest of his term.

• If Daeschner chooses to end his contract early, he will face no penalties, according to Larry Wilder, board attorney.

STEPHEN DAESCHNER

• 67 years old

• Formerly led Indian Prairie District 204, which serves Aurora, Naperville, Bolingbrook and Plainfield, Ill.

• Is married and has four children, ranging in age from 17 to 40

• Has spent 44 years working in education in various places, including Alaska, Iowa and Kentucky

• If he looks familiar, it’s because he led Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville for 14 years until the school board chose not renew his contract in 2007. During his tenure at JCPS, he was honored as Kentucky’s Superintendent of the Year in 2006 by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators.

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