School Board votes to end superintendent sharing plan

The Clear Lake School Board has voted unanimously to pursue the hiring of its own superintendent for the 2016-17 school year.

On a 5-0 vote Wednesday, Dec. 16, board members decided to discontinue sharing the superintendent position with Mason City.  Anita Micich has served as the leader of the two school districts since a sharing agreement was reached in 2010.  Mason City will continue to hold Micich’s contract, which runs through June 30, 2016.

School Board members have been discussing the possibility of hiring their own superintendent for more than a year and have made a conscious effort to study ways to put aside the additional funds the district will need to spend for its own leader.

In another unanimous vote, the Board showed its support for continuing to share its IT and food service directors with Mason City in the 2016-17 school year.  Clear Lake holds the contract for IT Director Jason Christenson and Food Service Director Lora Jenson.  Unlike the superintendent sharing plan, there are no state incentive dollars available for sharing IT or food service leaders.  However, both districts have realized savings by making bulk purchases, according to the boards.

The Mason City School Board met Monday night, Dec. 21, to discuss the sharing agreements.  That board voted unanimously to continue to share IT Director Jason Christenson.  Including salary and benefits, Christensen is paid $128,235.   The board chose to table a decision about food service director Lora Jenson until its Jan. 18 meeting. Jenson receives salary and benefits totaling $124,585.  Both of those salaries are currently paid on a 60:40 split between Mason City and Clear Lake.