MASON CITY – The Mason City school board will hold a special work session Monday evening to discuss and consider the status of the administrative/activities director position.
Last week, School Superintendent Anita Micich fired Mason City High School Athletic Director Bob Kenny, only to be over-ruled later the same day by the school board, at least temporarily. A sizable backlash was felt by Micich and the board, as local educators, coaches, parents and even persons from around the state sounded off on the firing.
An Iowa high school coach from nearly 100 miles away tweeted last week that “how can a 4A school have no athletic director? Unheard of.”
Some say the district is engaging in fear tactics – threatening to fire well-known and respected coaches and teachers – to get what it wants. Last year, in the days and weeks leading up to elections on school levies, the district threatened to fire about a dozen coaches and other teachers, leading to a spectacle at at school board meeting where students tearfully begged the board not to fire anyone.
Kenny got to keep his job last week – for the time being – but the board could still vote to eliminate the position.
Part of the reason for the firing is due to what the school district calls dire financial conditions it faces.
The second part of the special work session will be to address those issues. Despite taxpayers giving the district all it asked for in passing two new tax levies last fall, the district finds itself struggling in the face of $36 million debt. Dwindling student enrollment is failing to fill the new school buildings the district has built or remodeled in recent years, and teachers and administrators are asking for sizable raises again this year.
The board is tasked with “assessing the long term needs of the School District and plan to respond to the financial issues that will impact future decisions.”
The special work session will begin at 7:00 PM on Monday, May 12, 2014, at the Mason City Community School District Administration Building Board Room, 1515 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Mason City, Iowa.
In the real world, there would be people and pay cuts! But in the public sector? There will be NO cuts and pay raises.
I also blame the school board for having no guts. Everybody knows what should be done, but they dont have the courage to do it.
When did these fat cats ever rely on a budget – if there ever was a surplus at the end of any year they gave themselfs a bonus or raise. Wish they really knew how bad the private sector is doing they live in a bubble.
Easy Fix- No one gets raises this year, but everyone can keep their position except Anita.
Hire a person who has educational background as well as CPA/or managing budgets. Ramona should be gone also. Also look at our Administration Ratio to declining students enrollment. We are top heavy, less Administration Staff as we move forward. But this year for School year FY 2015. No raises and Anita is gone. That would be a first good step
Get rid of Micich. Problem solved!
I think the admin and board have been negligent. Everyone knows enrolment is down. Why did we get the fema room if there is no money to maintain it? Why didnt we consolidate the admin building into one of the schools? Why didnt we consolidate schools instead of building lincoln? Why do we pay a top ten in the state supeintendent salary? Why does no one seem to care until now? Does anyone realize our general funding budget surplus went from 7 mil in 2010 to just over 1 mil next year??
@superhowy-and do not forget that we spent over 39 million on remodeling of two schools just two years ago and built a new school and were told it was funded. Now they want us to believe that we are all of the sudden 40 million in debt and that our general fund has gone down 6 million in one year? Less students equals less money required means less money needed. Why do we go further in debt. Who is managing the budget’s?