Retirement time for school superintendents or anyone for that matter is usually difficult and often complicated as so much needs consideration. My story several years ago is interesting as after thirteen years as Superintendent, I made my decision one April night in the middle of a City Council meeting when I was making a budget preparation. When I completed my comments, one member of the City Council asked me why the Special Education budget proposed in the new budget was such an increase.
At that point a member of the City Council commented, “let me say that the Superintendent is going to tell you the same thing he has said for the past five years in that out of districts costs are increasing and unpredictable.”
After I commented, the City Council member was right on target, another Council member asked why the school lunch subsidy was so high to which another Council member commented, “you know what he is going to say “labor costs and students who can’t afford to pay for their lunch” to which I responded “that is correct Counsellor” and he smiled.
While I was heading out of the City Council chambers that night, I decided that was my last budget night as I realized I could write the script for the meeting and needed a new challenge. Working with all our members gives me that challenge every day a new issue.
Some thoughts to avoid the Jetty,
Paul, M.A.S.S.
JETTY defined as a pier or structure of stones, piles or the like, projecting into the sea or other body of water to protect a harbor and deflect the current