The Keokuk School Board accepted the resignation of Tim Hood as Superintendent following a nearly two-hour closed door meeting. The board also released him from the final year of his contract so he can take a similar job in southwest Iowa.
Janne Long, Keokuk School Board President, said following the meeting that Hood’s last day with the district will be June 30, 2017. She did not provide any details as to the terms of Hood’s release from his contract.
Long said the school board is now focused on conducting an efficient search on a very tight timeline. The process begins Thursday, May 4 with a special workshop at 4:00 p.m. to discuss the job description for the new superintendent.
Long said the board could also discuss the hiring of an outside firm to lead the search. She said her goal and the goal of the board is to conduct an open and transparent search involving members of the community.
NEW JOB
Now that he’s been released from his contract, Hood can take over as superintendent of the Sidney and South Page School Districts on July 1. The two small districts share the position.
Hood’s new contract will pay him $155,000/year for two years.
Hood, who previously worked in the Creston School District, said several superintendents from that area alerted him to the Sidney/South Page job.
“They said, ‘Hey, if you want to get back over here sometime, this is a pretty nice district that had some good student growth this year,’” said Hood. “It was something that really appealed to me.”
Hood said the Keokuk School Board was aware that he was seeking the job, which he said would allow him to be closer to his family in southwest Iowa and to his daughter, who just signed a national letter of intent to compete in track and field at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Hood said the size of the two districts also influenced his decision.
“I’m a small school person myself,” said Hood. “I grew up in a small school, graduating class of 23 kids. I think their graduating class was 29 kids in Sidney. South Page, I believe, is still the smallest K-12 district in the state with 120-some kids I believe. It’s just the combination of those two things with family and school size.”
The Keokuk School District has shared teachers and staff members with nearby districts, but Hood said it will take some getting used to as he becomes a shared superintendent.
“I would imagine you [not being] in the right place would be part of it,” said Hood. “The other part of it is you are handing two different budgets, two different staffs and all those kinds of things. That was intriguing to me as well. That is just something I will need to play by ear.”
Hood said at this point, he will continue to work on end-of-year items for the Keokuk School District while handing duties related to the Sidney/South Page School Districts on weekends until his new contract begins July 1.
Hood said he is proud of his time in Keokuk, especially when it comes to boosting the graduation rate and improving the district’s financial outlook. He said he will miss the district.
“Good people, teachers are very dedicated, it’s a good staff,” said Hood. “Our kids, with all the backgrounds they come from, do a nice job too.”
