Published: August 12, 2009 01:11 am      

Letter to the editor - Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009

Kokomo schools gives away farm

A year ago, the Kokomo Center School Board began recruiting a new superintendent. It found a candidate who has never been a superintendent before, worked for a short time as a central office administrator in Lafayette, and minimal time as high school principal. At the time he was an instructor at a college in Indianapolis.

The board seemed to be in a hurry, even though four new board members had been elected in May. Why the hurry, since the board members, or at least four of the seven, were newly elected and those making the decision concerning a new superintendent were about to leave?

Now the biggest travesty was the old board (of which four are still seated) selected a green, rookie candidate and, yes, just simply “gave away the farm.”

The State of Indiana requires schools to give a three-year contract to their new superintendents. But, Kokomo Center School Corp. Board gave Chris Himsel a four-year contract. Why? I don’t have a clue, and I am presently on the board.

One of the former members shared with me that “they just wanted to sweeten the pot.” In addition, he was given a compensation package of $190,441.85. This included $13,500 a year for his Indiana Teacher’s Retirement package, and over $11,048.55 per year for a 401(a) compensation (retirement) package.

This was the highest compensation package of any superintendent in the corporation’s history. In fact, I believe it may be the biggest package of any public official in Howard County.

Let’s see, no experience as a superintendent, not a doctorate, and yet the highest paid in corporation history.

In addition, as a board member, I was told we would not vote on his contract this year because his contract has a clause which indicated his contract would be rolled over for four more years, if his board evaluation was acceptable.

As I shared with the board president, I gave the superintendent several “requires improvement” in his evaluation.

In my eyes he is not a $190,000 school employee. I was alone in my evaluation of the superintendent and his needing improvement.

However, because some of the board members who brought him in gave him a good evaluation, his contract will be rolled over for four more years.

If you do the math, that means he will be making close to $1 million for his first five years. Does this sound like the executives on Wall Street?

I believe the board gave away the farm, indeed. And, I for one will not go along with this outrage! This is in a community that has two of its major corporations, who provide work to our blue-collar town, declaring bankruptcy.

In addition, he surrounds himself with an administrative staff (central office) which makes in excess of $1.4 million.

I have shared with the superintendent we do not need this entire staff. This is truly a travesty, in a community which is one of the worst economically hit in the U.S. Remember, you as taxpayers are paying the bill.

There will be a board election next spring. I hope people don’t forget what is going on.

Harold W. Canady, School board member