Streetsboro -- In early May, Streetsboro City Schools got a big surprise -- its new superintendent Bob Hunt announced his intent to leave the district.
"The staff and community of Streetsboro have been supportive and committed to improvement," he stated in a news release. "There has been a great deal accomplished over the last year due to the efforts of the staff, community and Board of Education."
Hunt, who came to Streetsboro in May 2011, reached a verbal agreement with Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools to begin his tenure with them Aug. 1 before that School Board voted to hire him April 30.
"We will work to get a new superintendent as soon as possible; however, we will not rush through the process just to pick someone," said School Board President Kevin Grimm in the spring. The Streetsboro School Board initially offered the position to Riverside Local School District Superintendent James Kalis, who then turned down the district's offer. If he signed the contract, Kalis said he'd be "locked in for three years."
Grimm said it is important to find a superintendent candidate who was comfortable making a strong commitment to the district.
"I'm very disappointed with the way this ended up," he added.
On July 31, the School Board hired as superintendent longtime Ravenna City Schools Superintendent Dr. Tim Calfee (who had recently retired from that district), offering him a one-year contract with a $124,400 salary. Although his salary is the same as Hunt's would have been for the current school year, Treasurer Cathy Rouse said there were several items in Hunt's contract that were left out of Calfee's: A $400 a month allowance for food, mileage for activities associated with school business and a contribution of $6,000 to an annuity.
"One of the things I thought about upon retirement was maybe doing some interim work and filling in for a district that needs help," said Calfee following a July 31 School Board meeting. "I'm excited to be here and look forward to serving Streetsboro this year."
Behind the scenes, Grimm said the Board has been working on its superintendent search, although it hasn't contracted with any outside agencies to assist in the search as it has in the past.
"Although the public may not actually see the Board making progress on the superintendent search or working on the strategic plan, work is being done," he said in a Dec. 27 email.
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