The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By David Grimes, for The Quill
While Superintendent Charles Langley tendered his resignation with the school board late last year, the search continues for his successor.
Board chairman, Bryan Hubbard, Lomax, says there's no rush by the school district to hire a new superintendent. Dallas City is currently studying a school reorganization proposal with three other Hancock County school districts - La Harpe, Nauvoo-Colusa and Carthage.
The merger option being discussed is convergence, or a joining of several high schools only at a central location.
If the four-district convergence proposal succeeds at the ballot, the earliest vote would come in 2006, Dallas City would retain its elementary school, as would the other districts involved.
"If the need for bringing in students from other district elementary schools became necessary, we have a fairly new facility already in place to accommodate those students," Hubbard said.
But until a commitment to a specific alignment is made, Dallas City will seek the services of an interim administrator, according to Hubbard.
Robert Baumann, regional superintendent for schools in McDonough and Hancock counties, is helping Dallas City officials look for candidates through the state board, Hubbard said.
Hubbard, who attended last weeks' joint La Harpe/Southern board meeting at Stronghurst on school convergence, said his preference between a two-district and four-district convergence involves numbers.
"If a convergence involving several district high schools begins with a student population of 500, but drops by 150 over the first few years, you've got 350 students," he said. "But if you begin a high school with 350 students and that number drops by 150 students, you're not only back to where you started, you're in trouble."
Hubbard said the Dallas City board will consider temporary and shared-time schedules once it begins candidate selection for the superintendent position.
No deadline has been set for a decision, he said.