Eugene School Board chooses three finalists for superintendent

The Eugene School District announced the three finalists to replace outgoing Superintendent George Russell at Wednesday night’s school board meeting.

They are Darlene Schottle, superintendent of Kalispell Public Schools in Kalispell, Mont.; Sheldon Berman, superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky.; and Michael Munoz, chief academic officer of Des Moines Public Schools in Des Moines, Iowa.

Eugene School Board members interviewed candidates by phone last week. The three finalists will be in Eugene for a community forum on March 8. Before that, school board members will visit all three finalists in their communities.

Schottle, 58, was named Superintendent of the Year in Montana in 2009, according to nbcmontana.com. She is in her eighth year leading the 5,500-student school district in Kalispell and signed a three-year contract extension last year at an annual salary of $116,000, according to the Daily Inter Lake newspaper in Kalispell.

“If you find someone that is a good leader for your district, then I think you say to that superintendent, ‘We will make to you the greatest commitment that we can possibly make under the law,’” Trustee Don Murray said at the Kalispell school board meeting last year in announcing the contract extension.

Berman, 61, asked the Jefferson County School Board in Louisville on Monday not to renew his contract, which expires in June, according to a report on the website of the NBC affiliate in Louisville. The board was set to vote on renewing his contract, but Berman asked that it be removed from the agenda, according to the story.

“It’s time to move on, and get the board to move on,” Berman was quoted as saying.

Munoz, 47, is also one of three candidates for the superintendent’s job for the Davenport Community School District in Davenport, Iowa, according to a recent report in the Quad-City Times newspaper of Davenport. Munoz has been with the Des Moines school district for the past six years and was named at the beginning of the school year to his current position, according to the story. Munoz was also a candidate last year for the superintendent job of Columbus (Neb.) Public Schools, according to a story in the Columbus Telegram newspaper. That story said he was a teacher, coach and administrator in Nebraska for 12 years before moving to Iowa.

The Eugene School Board intends to announce its choice at its March 16 board meeting.

Russell, 66, announced last summer that this would be his final year with the Eugene School District. He was named superintendent in 1999 after replacing the late Margaret Nichols on an interim basis the year before.

Also Wednesday night, the school board voted unanimously to approve a motion to support a four-year city income tax measure that would raise nearly $17 million annually for the Eugene and Bethel school districts.

Like most all school districts in Oregon and throughout the nation, the Eugene School District is struggling financially and the school board voted on Feb. 2 to follow Russell’s recommendations to close four elementary schools, lay off as many as 84 teachers and 62 administrative and classified members, and pursue negotiating pay and benefit freezes with its employee groups to staunch an estimated $24 million budget shortfall.

The shortfall is why the Eugene City Council, on Monday, voted to place a four-year income tax for schools in the Eugene and Bethel school districts on the May 17 ballot. If approved by voters, the tax would raise an estimated $16.8 million for the two school districts annually for four years to minimize teacher layoffs, keep class sizes from growing more than necessary and preserve as many instruction days as possible. If voters approve the tax, the Eugene School District could receive $12 million and Bethel $4.8 million per year.

In other matters, the board also directed district facilities staff to pursue a scaled-down bond measure for the May 17 ballot that would provide money for school upgrades, remodel, expansion and much-needed repairs. Russell had originally recommended that the board approve placing a $130 million bond measure on the ballot, that would provide $63 million to build a new Roosevelt Middle School, as well as replace one of the aging elementary schools in the district, most likely Howard Elementary School. But board consensus Wednesday was that voters would not support both a city income tax for schools and a bond measure to build new schools when the board voted just two weeks ago to close Parker, Crest Drive, Coburg and Meadowlark elementary schools this fall. The bond measure for the May 17 ballot, therefore, if the board approves it by March 16, would likely be in the $65 million to $70 million range.

Board members admitted Wednesday that placing a facilities bond measure that would be paid for with property taxes, next to a measure on the same ballot that would tax city residents’ income to avoid laying off more teachers, thus keeping class sizes down, and cutting more school days, is risky.

“If this group is willing to roll the dice … I’m willing to go along,” board member Jim Torrey said.

“We are gambling,” board member Alicia Hays said. “There’s a lot to lose, and not just an election.” She cautioned the board and the district to be very “thoughtful” on how the measure is crafted.

District architect Larry Massey and facilities director Jon Lauch also presented the board with an overview of three proposals for the Civic Stadium properties. They include developer Steve Master’s proposal for “Civic Village,” which would include a 120,000-square-foot Fred Meyer store on the site near 20th Avenue and Willamette Street; the Eugene Y’s proposal to partner with developers to build a recreation and community center to replace its aging facility on Patterson Street, plus student apartments; and Save Civic Stadium group’s proposal to retain the 73-year-old wooden grandstand and put soccer fields on the site.

Massey said Tuesday the district would not release details of the three proposals until one is selected. The district is allowed to keep proposal details confidential under state law.