Stronghurst - Southern Community School District #120 has hired an interim Superintendent to fill the position of outgoing Superintendent Charlie Barber.
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher
Stronghurst - Southern Community School District #120 has hired an interim Superintendent to fill the position of outgoing Superintendent Charlie Barber.
At a January special meeting, board members passed a motion - "Not to extend Superintendent Barber's contract beyond the 2003-2004 school year, effective June 30, 2004."
President Jon Corzatt had said one idea was "to hire an Interim Superintendent due to the ongoing consolidation talks."
At a special meeting earlier this month, the board voted to do just that as they selected and approved hiring the retiring Yorkwood Superintendent for the part time position.
This Monday night, Tom Avery attended his first Superintendent's meeting with the Southern Board, and served his last official day with Yorkwood School District #225 today (June 30th).
He finished a seven-year stretch in that position and 34 1/2 years in education.
For 15 1/2 years he was a business teacher, a vocational teacher, a Director of Athletics, and had even driven a school bus at Yorkwood.
In 1985 he moved to Deer Creek-Mackinaw located between Peoria and Bloomington on Route 9 where he was their Elementary Principal for twelve years.
Raised in Kirkwood, Avery participated in football, basketball, and track at Yorkwood graduating in 1965.
He and his late wife, Mary who died of cancer in 2000, have two grown children and six grandchildren.
Daughter Laurie lives in Naperville a Kindergarten teacher who for now is a stay-at-home mom, and son Lonnie, a Civil Engineer for Benchmart Construction who lives in Yorkville.
Avery said as Interim, and in accordance with his retirement stipulations, he will be working no more than 120 days during the school year (approximately 10 to 12 days a month for 10 months).
The Board chose to hire an Interim awaiting the outcome of the November consolidation vote with Union. Avery said, he was assured that he will not be working on consolidation talks since the biggest majority of work on the Union-Southern consolidation talks has already taken place and is just waiting for the November vote.
"I have been involved the last three years with consolidation talks," Avery said, "and half were for it and half were against it.
"You find yourself bouncing back and forth, and in the end, no one is completely happy."
"Change is very difficult for people."
At Yorkwood, the consolidation vote made it to the ballot for a Warren-Alexis-Yorkwood merger, but Yorkwood voted the idea down.
Warren and Alexis ended up merging which will begin this school year.
Yorkwood started over with consolidation meetings with the Roseville School District. A co-op arrangement in sports was going well, Avery said, and Yorkwood was wanting to merge with Roseville. But into the talks, Roseville pulled away and went to Monmouth and now will have the Monmouth-Roseville consolidation question on the November ballot.
At Southern, a teacher's contract is still on the table and Avery responded that a negotiating committee had been meeting with the board without Superintendent Barber present and will probably continue that procedure.
"I am getting information from the school attorney for them for the next meeting," Avery said.
I've told them (the board), "Whatever it takes to get the job done, I will help them,' but it has to be within the 120 days or I'll lose my retirement. It might mean I will be doing some work without pay," but the work will get done.
Avery will be receiving $400 a day for his 120 days/part-time position, a considerable amount less than his retirement salary at Yorkwood.
Avery, who will be taking a two week pre-arranged and pre-paid fishing trip to Alaska the next couple weeks was happy working with the Yorkwood District.
"I haven't had a vacation for several years and gave back 18 days of vacation the last three years because of illness with his wife. They offered to pay me for them, but I declined," he said. "They were so good to give me extra days off when I needed it with her, and I was so grateful."
Avery will remain living at his Kirkwood home, only a 30 minute commute, he said, and the Board approved a cell phone Monday night to make him even more accessible.
Tom Avery, Superintendent at Southern School District begins his role as Interim, attending Monday night's regular board meeting.