Stanton to share Fremont-Mills superintendent
STANTON — After a year of having an interim superintendent, the Stanton school board has finalized a sharing agreement with Fremont-Mills for the services of superintendent Dr. Chris Herrick.
Herrick and Essex superintendent Jim Dick were both interviewed for the position.
“Fremont-Mills is a very progressive district, and that meant a lot,” school board president Jeff Magneson said, explaining why Herrick was chosen over Dick. “Dr. Herrick has a doctorate and is very energetic. He has also been through a One-to-One laptop initiative, which we are working on now. This will allow more networking between the two schools and maybe even future sharing in other areas.”
The specific details of the agreement have yet to be discussed, but Herrick will likely spend 2.5 days a week in each district under a one-year contract. Herrick’s salary is yet to be determined.
Herrick, who has worked in the Fremont-Mills district for 13 years, said sharing agreements have been vital to the district, and their board has been looking into sharing his services with another district.
“Fremont-Mills has strong leadership within our building, as far as principals, staff, custodian and food service members, so we have the capacity to be in a position to share a superintendent,” Herrick said. “It’s a win for our kids and it’s a win for their kids. Whenever we can be more efficient with our resources to help them academically achieve, it’s something to be excited about.”
Herrick, who is scheduled to take over the position July 1, added his first priority in the Stanton district, aside from getting better acquainted with the staff and community, is to ensure the building is ready for the One-to-One computer initiative.
Last summer, after former superintendent Judd Ashley retired, the district hired Terry Christie as an interim superintendent, during which time Herrick had approached the board to consider a sharing agreement for the 2012-13 school year.
“Fremont-Mills approached us for the sharing agreement, which was very flattering and that meant a lot to the board,” Magneson said.
However, according to Magneson, the district wasn’t ready to only have a superintendent part time this year. Ashley had filled the position for 25 years, and the district was in need of a consultant to help move the district forward.
“We were very satisfied with what he did and we would have gladly had him back, but because of the distance, that wasn’t an option for him,” Magneson said about Christie who is a retired superintendent from New Hampton. “He had a lot of leadership and was very visible here.”
When hired in August, Christie was responsible for helping prepare the district’s infrastructure for the One-to-One initiative and mentoring Kevin Blunt, the new kindergarten-12th grade principal.
He was also asked to make recommendations for the district’s future, one of which was to proceed with a shared superintendent position.
“The pros of sharing are that there will always be two administrations present,” Christie said in a past interview with the Red Oak Express. “If I were going to be a superintendent still, it would be at Stanton. My choice has nothing to do with Stanton and everything to do with time and distance.”