After sharing a business manager with the Manawa School District for the past several years, the Weyauwega-Fremont School District now plans to hire its own part-time manager.
That was the consensus of the W-F School Board following an Aug. 4 closed session.
“The consensus was we don’t want to deal with it anymore,” W-F board member Dan Kohl said during the board’s Aug. 11 Committee of the Whole meeting.
He made that comment after fellow board member Neal Loehrke asked if the district would be more successful posting for a full-time business manager and then having the Manawa district pay half of the cost.
That would be the reversal of the arrangement the two districts had.
Dan Storch served as the business manager of both the W-F and Manawa school districts. He worked part time for both districts.
The Manawa School District held his contract and then had a contract with the W-F School District.
Storch submitted his resignation to the Manawa School District on July 30. His last day at W-F was on Tuesday, Aug. 12.
W-F District Administrator Scott Bleck said Storch is going to the New Holstein School District.
During the Aug. 11 Committee of the Whole meeting, Bleck told the board the position has been posted, and some applicants have come forward.
“We’re looking to bring forward a recommendation to fill the position as soon as possible,” Bleck said.
Storch was the second person to serve as the business manager for both the W-F and Manawa districts.
He did so for about a year, according to Bleck.
Prior to Storch, Brian Adesso held the position.
Adesso worked part time for both of the districts for about two years.
Before Bleck became W-F’s district administrator, F. James Harlan was the district administrator.
Harlan held the business manager title. In addition, the district had a position in the central office that supported that area, Bleck said.
Following that person’s retirement, the district decided to share a business manager with the Manawa School District, he said.
During Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Loehrke questioned if the contract the W-F district had with Manawa still held and if W-F Legal Counsel Greg Gill Sr. had been contacted.
Board President Doug Ehrenberg said he would call Gill for an opinion.
Board member Deb Bartel said, “If they (Manawa) don’t have one, I think we have to be proactive. If we find somebody who only wants half time, we should run with it.”
In regard to Loehrke’s questions, Kohl said, “At the last meeting, we decided wo don’t want to go with it anymore. We gave Scott direction to pursue other options. Part time with Manawa hasn’t worked out well. The consensus of the board was to go on our own.”
Loehrke said he sees nothing wrong with holding Manawa accountable for the contract it had with the W-F district.
Bleck said both districts posted for part-time business managers.
In regard to Storch’s tenure with the W-F district, Bleck said. “We thank Dan for his time and service. He did a nice job assisting our district.”