Published: May 13, 2009 01:42 pm      

Stephen Daeschner appears to be the choice for Greater Clark County Schools

And then there was one

Greater Clark County Schools appears to have landed the leader it wanted in Stephen Daeschner.

School board members won’t yet name the veteran superintendent as the only candidate remaining out of 14, but city leaders and residents crucial in Daeschner’s recruitment spoke glowingly Tuesday about bringing him to Clark County.

Robbie Valentine, board vice president, said the public will get a chance to meet the lone superintendent candidate at a meeting Tuesday night, likely at 7 p.m. at Jeffersonville High School, following meetings earlier that day with students and faculty. The exact times will be announced later, he added.

Though Valentine wouldn’t say the name of the candidate at Tuesday night’s board meeting, earlier that morning he was with Daeschner, a 67-year-old superintendent from Aurora, Ill., and former leader of Jefferson County Public Schools, at a meeting of Jeffersonville city and community leaders.

Mayor Tom Galligan said he was the one who asked Daeschner to come to the meeting. He said the group of community leaders has been meeting since about October to discuss school issues.

He said he knew Daeschner and knew he applied for the position and would be in town, so he asked him to stop by. He said that request was made last week.

Tom Lindley, a Jeffersonville native and former editor and publisher of The Evening News, was at that meeting.

“Dr. Daeschner came to the meeting just to meet some business leaders and to be introduced and talk about what he’s done in Naperville [Ill.] and Louisville and what some of the challenges would be here,” Lindley said.

He said he found out about the meeting last week.

School board member Christina Gilkey said she found out one hour before it started, via a phone call. She attended, as well as Missy DeArk, board secretary, in addition to Valentine.

Rumors have been circulating that community leaders may be asked to help supplement a contract with Daeschner to close the gap between the $130,000 Greater Clark paid its last permanent superintendent and what he makes in Illinois. His salary there would be $266,235 as of July 1, the start of his third and final year of his contract, according to The Daily Herald, a suburban Chicago newspaper.

Lindley said he has heard those rumors, but has not been involved in such conversations and has not been asked to give money. Though, he said there were people at the Tuesday morning meeting with Daeschner who could donate.

“Maybe that was another step in the process,” Lindley said of the morning meeting. “Perhaps they’d be in a position to step up and help out [if Daeschner is chosen].”

Bob Lanum, a Jeffersonville lawyer and president of the Paul Ogle Foundation, was one of the people there. He said about 15 to 20 people came to the meeting to ask Daeschner questions and get to know him.

“I think it was very, very positive,” Lanum said of the meeting. “People were asking questions on what he’s done in the past and basically his theory or method of being a superintendent and what he’s done in the past at other places.”

“He seems excellent,” Galligan said with a smile on his face. “He was impressive. I was impressed with him and I think everyone in the room was impressed with him. I think the community will be impressed, too.”

“I would say he wowed the crowd,” Lindley said.

Lindley said the group has worked to recruit Daeschner for months. Daeschner previously told media in Illinois that some members of the Greater Clark board had been in contact with him for two years.

“I always thought it was sort of a long shot,” Lindley said of getting Daeschner.

Though, he added the process isn’t finished.

“I don’t want to say the deal is done until the contract is signed and the votes are taken,” Lindley added.

That may come soon. Gilkey said the vote to hire a superintendent likely would happen next week, soon after the public meeting. When asked what would happen if the public doesn’t support the one candidate at the public hearing, Gilkey said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Valentine said the board is ready to introduce its candidate, because members have done their homework.

“We were very, very solid in our decision,” he said.

As for how it will be funded, Valentine said, “We are meeting with community people to talk about a lot of things from foundations to assortments of things and right now we’re negotiating his contract.

“We haven’t gotten to the number area yet. When we finally get the contract to the point where the board and individual feel is solid, we’ll announce how that will happen.”

Gilkey said she is not in favor of using funds from the community to help pay for a superintendent.

“That’s fiscally irresponsible to hire a superintendent you can’t afford to pay out of your budget,” she said, adding that the total amount would be listed in his contract with Greater Clark. “Any private donations or whatever, what happens when they decide they’re mad or don’t like the decisions we’re making and they pull out?

“Who’s stuck with the bills — Greater Clark County taxpayers. If we can’t afford the man, maybe we shouldn’t hire him.”

Rod Daily, a parent of two students in Greater Clark, spoke out to the board previously and also Tuesday night asking for this process to be more open, perhaps by having a hiring committee made up of parents, community members and teachers to help make a recommendation to the board.

After hearing the public will get a chance to interview the final candidate, Daily still was not pleased.

“It’s one candidate. The decision has already been made,” Daily said. “This proves it’s a farce. It’s just for show. It’s a done deal and it has been since February.”

“Why would they narrow down a 14-candidate pool and say we’ll let you interview one?” Daily asked. “People deserve the opportunity to meet more than one.”

Valentine added that all the candidates were “tremendous” and that the board was together during the process. He said he will be able to share more details once the process is complete.

Daeschner did not return calls requesting comment for this story.



IN OTHER BUSINESS

• Also at the meeting, the board approved a revised calendar for the 2009-10 school year. Students will head back to school Aug. 26. The last day of school is June 10.

• The board approved a contract with The Leadership and Learning Center for $60,000 to train teachers to become certified trainers of Five Easy Steps to a Balanced Math Program.

• The board approved to match funds raised by the Charlestown High School band boosters for new band uniforms at a cost of $5,300 plus shipping fees.