Wausau School District. MWC file photo.
CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – There’s been a lot of discussion about the qualities that Wausau would like to see in a new school superintendent. The answers to a district-wide survey and a series of focus groups are not surprising. Parents want someone who will emphasize academic achievement and will embrace diversity. Teachers want someone who will work collaboratively. The business community wants a school district that will turn out competent future employees.
I would add one more thing to the list: longevity. We should look for a superintendent who wants to stay here long-term.
Dr. Keith Hilts, who is retiring at the end of the current school year, has been here for six years. That’s about average for a superintendent’s tenure. There was a time when a superintendent stayed longer.
Some have described Dr. Hilt’s tenure as tenuous. I don’t agree. The district has been involved in some tenuous debates – like school consolidation, which is never popular. There have been some high-profile faculty issues, like the forced resignation of Wausau East’s band director. Dr. Hilt’s family has also endured a personal tragedy during his time here. His compensation package is the 6th highest in the entire state. If he decides now is the time to step away, that’s his privilege.
Other recent superintendents also had relatively short stays in Wausau. Dr. Katherine Williams, who was drawing a retiree’s pension in Illinois when she arrived here, had health problems. Yet you could tell she wouldn’t be here very long.
Steven Murley saw Wausau as a career-building job. He left here to be superintendent in Arlington Heights, Illinois – one of the wealthiest suburbs in the country. He later had a short tenure in the Green Bay school district.
The last long-serving school superintendent was Dr. Charles Skirka. He was popular among school board members and was given credit for shepherding through a big school referendum that built the new Wausau East High School and updated other school buildings. He left under a cloud of his own making, as the school board gave him a breathtakingly large severance package that shocked many local taxpayers.
Yet, someone who is willing to make a decade-or-more commitment to the school district is what Wausau needs. Dr. Skirka left a mark on the district. Someone with a vision for our schools needs the gift of time to see it through. Wausau is a nice community with a good school system. One of the first questions we should be asking applicants is “how long do you intend to stay here?” “I hope this is the last job I interview for” is the answer we should be looking for.
Chris Conley
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