It’s official: Greater Clark CFO says he’s out Dec. 31

Clark County

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November 13, 2009

Frank Collesano took the job in late July

By TARA HETTINGER The News and Tribune Fri Nov 13, 2009, 12:36 AM EST

Greater Clark County Schools’ Chief Financial Officer Frank Collesano said he is resigning effective Dec. 31.

The once-retired school administrator came back to work this summer after being asked to do so by his former boss at Jefferson County Public Schools and now Greater Clark Superintendent Stephen Daeschner.

The school board approved him taking the district’s open slot for a salary of $111,446 with a 6-0 vote in late July, with member Christina Gilkey absent from that meeting.

Collesano would not say why he is leaving the position after just a few months on the job. He wrote in an e-mail to The Evening News that he will discuss it “at the appropriate time.” He did point out that it’s a resignation and that he will not be receiving retirement benefits from Greater Clark.

Missy DeArk, school board member, said Collesano has already done much good for the school district.

“It would take me a while to put together a [monetary] amount that he has already saved us, but I can tell you he has paid [his] salary ... many times over,” DeArk said via e-mail. “It will be very difficult to find a replacement of his experience and caliber ... He will be sorely missed.”

In September, Collesano talked with The Evening News about a change in a money market account he made that is expected to bring in about $160,000 more to the district.

Collesano also already completed the district’s budget for 2010, building it up from scratch in an effort to find more savings. He said previously that the district needed to reduce its teaching and assistant teaching staff by 45 positions next year. Collesano had said he believed those cuts could be made through attrition.

“Frank did an excellent job with our budget,” said Gilkey, board vice president. “I hate that he’s leaving us so quickly. I really do. It’s been only about four months.”

Gilkey said it’s the superintendent’s job to find and interview potential cabinet members, such as a CFO. She said the board will have to vote to approve any final candidate. She said she’s not sure if there is anyone in mind or if the search will be a challenging one.

Messages left for Daeschner were not returned as of press time.