CL, MC school sharing programs under review

Clear Lake and Mason City School Boards met in a joint work session Monday night, with a focus on the future of sharing agreements between the districts.  

Although the districts share a nutrition director, grounds and transportation supervisor, facilities supervisor, IT director and a French/talented and gifted teacher, the majority of discussion by the Boards seemed to center around their shared superintendent, Anita Micich.  

The Clear Lake School District contracted with Mason City in July 2010 to share Micich’s time on a 60:40 basis.  The move was beneficial to each district due to the incentives offered by the State.  However sharing incentives, which are based on enrollment, have been tightened since 2010.  According to information presented at the work session, Mason City has received $953,701 in state incentives for sharing over five years, while Clear Lake received $443,704. Micich’s total salary and benefits for 2014-15 is $282,736.  Sixty percent of the salary ($169,642) is paid by Mason City; Clear Lake pays the remaining 40 percent ($113,094).  

Clear Lake Board members acknowledged during the meeting that potential concerns about a shared superintendent include a perceived lack of supervision, perception in the community and potential employee burnout.  However, the Board noted that during the five year period Micich has served as Clear Lake’s superintendent, the district has spent only $112,205 in salary dollars, thanks to $434,703 in state funds received for the sharing agreement. Based on an average of salary and benefit packages paid to superintendents of similar size districts in Iowa, the Clear Lake district can expect to pay about $180,000 annually for a superintendent.

Projected budget estimates prepared by Board Secretary and Business Manager Lorna Leerar showed the Clear Lake district will face a significant budget deficit in fiscal year 2018.

Board members also expressed concern over the position a district could find itself in if or when sharing is stopped.  The district which pays the smaller percentage for services could be at risk.