Superintendent Stoeckman’s service begins for B-OPS; School has four-bus fleet for sale
Signed on the line.
Following approval by the Butterfield-Odin Public School (B-OPS) School Board Board of the half-time (2.5 days per week) interim superintendent contract for Allen “Al” Stoeckman at a special meeting on Monday afternoon, August 22, B-OPS Board Chair Joel Penner signed the contract as board representative. Stoeckman had already provided his signature on the papers on Thursday, August 18.
The new half-time Interim B-OPS Superintendent Allen “Al” Stoeckman – who begins his service to the district tomorrow (Tuesday, August 23) – most recently served as interim superintendent in the Menahga School District for grades PreK-12. He began that position in October 2015. Prior to that, he had been the superintendent at Yellow Medicine East in Granite Falls from 2008 until his retirement in December 2014.
The new superintendent comes to B-OPS via the candidate search services of Sandy Gundlach, Director of School Board Services for the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA). These services were provided pro bono for the school district.
The approval of Superintendent Stoeckman’s contract was not without dispute, however, as the vote was a split one, 5-1. Voting in favor were Chair Penner, B-OPS Vice-Chair Leon Wenner, B-OPS Treasurer Andy Pierson, B-OPS Clerk Tammy Wolle and B-OPS Directors Diane Peterson and Renae Meyer. The dissent came from B-OPS Director Kristy Haseman.
Haseman expressed concern over contract language relating to travel expenses. The contract calls for the school district to compensate Stoeckman for business use of his private vehicle and travel to-and-from his home at the rate of 54 cents a mile (the Internal Revenue Service mileage reimbursement) pursuant to Minnesota Statute 471.665, Subdivision 1. “I feel the school district does not necessarily need to pay for travel expenses. What if he comes on a Monday, and then returns home (to Milan) that same day, and then comes back to B-OPS later in the week. My feeling is that it is going to cost us (district taxpayers) a lot of money.”
Wenner noted that, “What we are offering is identical to what we agreed to with Sandi (half-time B-OPS Acting Superintendent Sandi Novak). With the previous administrator, we were providing mileage and a car allowance.”
While board members stressed that Stoeckman has the freedom to choose his time in the school district, Novak shared that he would probably block together his days in the district, just as she had done.
In addressing another issue Haseman raised, board members by consensus stated that if Stoeckman becomes a permanent employee, this portion of the contract can be renegotiated.
The contract with Stoeckman is the period of Tuesday, August 23, 2016, through June 30, 2017, pending the search for and hiring of a permanent half-time superintendent. If a permanent half-time superintendent is hired, the contract will terminate at an earlier date.
Compensation for Stoeckman will be for $550 a day, along with the travel expenses and reimbursement for reasonable hotel expenses associated with his performance of school district services. The 2.5 days per week of official school district business, as averaged over the contract year, is not to exceed 110 days per year.
Stoeckman is to provide the school board with a schedule of work days by Thursday, September 1.
For sale – four-bus fleet
At the school board’s regular monthly meeting last Monday, August 15, members approved a five-year lease with Full Warranty Bus Leasing of New Ulm, with a one-year buy-back clause. The district will lease one bus, contract one bus – keep one of its buses as a shuttle bus for classes and activities – and receive a back-up bus.
The move was made following the resignation of two of the school district’s three bus drivers and the difficulty of finding new drivers. Full Warranty will contract and hire a driver for one of two bus routes (the three bus routes of previous years has been pared to two), as well as handle bus maintenance. Current bus driver Steve Christensen will be the driver of the second bus route.
Because of this transportation change, the B-OPS School Board unanimously approved at this special meeting a process for interested parties to submit a negotiable quote for the sale of a four-bus fleet. This bus fleet includes a 1995 International, 1990 Chevrolet, 2007 FRHT and 2010 International. (The district will retain its 1998 bus for use as the shuttle bus for classes and activities.)
The proceeds from the sale of this four-bus fleet will be kept in an earmarked account in the Transportation Fund. If board members decide after one year to discontinue the contract with Full Warranty, the district will be able to purchase buses for district use at $50,000 or less apiece.
The four buses will be advertised as a fleet, but itemized bids for each bus are being requested.
Quotes should be submitted to:
Butterfield-Odin Schools
Attention Kathy Svalland
440 Hubbard Avenue
Butterfield, MN 56120.
Quotes will be accepted from Tuesday, August 23 through 4 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5. All quotes should include the interested party’s name, contact information (address, e-mail and phone number) and itemized quote for the fleet.
