WARREN SCHOOLS Board again looks for new superintendent

The board of education also approved a two-year teachers contract.
WARREN -- It's back to the drawing board for the board of education in its search for a new district superintendent.
The board met Friday and decided to contact the Ohio School Boards Association to reopen the national search process that began Feb. 9.
"We are going to reopen our search process for any applicants that might want to apply for the Warren job," said Linda Metzendorf, board president. "This is a critical job for us. We want to make sure we take a good look at who might be interested."
She explained that there were several people who did not initially apply for the top post -- "and wished they would have."
Reopening the search will not cost the school district any more than what's already been contracted to the OSBA, she noted. The OSBA is conducting the search at a cost of $5,900 plus expenses not to exceed $2,000.
The board in recent weeks conducted three interviews. It will retain the file of only one applicant, Metzendorf said: Lloyd Martin, regional director, Duvall, Fla., who has a doctorate in education and 19 years in education with 15 as an administrator.
There were initially 25 people interested in being superintendent, most of them from Ohio. The job posting was sent to 2,500 addresses in Ohio and posted on the Internet and National School Boards Association site.
At the start of the process, the board had hoped to make an offer to employ this week.
The board has agreed the next superintendent and family must live in the district. Also, the board would prefer a three-year contract.
Superintendent Betty English plans to step down when her contract expires in July. She has led the school system since 1999. English's salary was $97,501; salary range for her replacement is to be determined.
2-year agreement
In other business, the five-member board unanimously approved a new two-year agreement with the Warren Education Association, effective June 30, providing salary increases of 2 percent each year. The agreement may extend into a third year, contingent on district finances at the time, with raises up to 2 percent.
The base salary for 2005-06 will be $28,802; it will be $29,378 in 2006-07, according to the contract. Added to the base salary can be longevity step increases and compensation for professional development including additional educational degrees (master's, doctorate).
An exact cost to the district for these increases was not available on Friday afternoon.
Metzendorf, however, said the contract makes "significant strides" in offsetting health care costs -- the district's fastest growing expense. Two current insurance plans will be folded into a single preferred provider plan, and deductibles will increase as well as office visit co-payments.
The agreement also provides for an early retirement incentive if 36 teachers announce retirement by June 15. It allows for testing of employees where there is a reasonable suspicion of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.