NM approves interim superintendent contract amid controversy
Apr. 18—NEW SHARON — The North Mahaska Community School Board's decision to approve a contract with Tim Veiseth for the position of interim superintendent at their regular meeting Monday night was not without controversy.
The contract finalized by the board on Monday night hires Veiseth as interim superintendent of the district for a one-year term running from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. Veiseth will draw a salary of $155,000 for the contract year, and has the potential to enter a permanent contract as superintendent at the end of next June, pending a performance review in December 2023.
The approval of the contract follows the board's rapid turnaround of the hiring process for the position of interim superintendent, which lasted just six days, from March 27 to April 3. Some questioned the expediency of the decision, with board member Todd Vander Wilt issuing a statement of dissent at the board's special session on April 3. Vander Wilt stated that the "fast-tracking" of the process and lack of things like a search for multiple qualified candidates and community stakeholder input could give rise to a claim that Veiseth was hired without due process.
The board heard similar concerns about the hiring process from community member Jackson Drost during Monday night's public comment session.
"I have no problem with who you hired," Drost said. "He's an outstanding individual, and I will compliment him. What I have an issue with is how fast it was done, and a few things I observed at [the April 3 board meeting.] It was evident that many board members did not want anyone from the public or media attending that meeting.
"Why was there no discussion to explore all possible applicants? Did any other apply to the position that was only posted on the state page the Monday prior to the meeting to hire? A comment was made that we have to hire such a person before he goes somewhere. My question is, where is he going to go right now?" Drost said.
Drost claimed he was told that no other applicants for the position existed. He compared North Mahaska's rapid, six-day hiring process to a very public and extended hiring process recently undertaken by the nearby Cardinal Community School District in Eldon when they hired their new superintendent in March after a months-long search.
"They had 10 applicants," Drost said. "They narrowed it down to six. They then did Zoom interviews and narrowed it to three. The three remaining came to visit the school and community. They did a sit-down interview that involved 15 different people split into three different groups ... All three groups rated the three candidates, and all picked the same individual to hire."
Drost said that if North Mahaska had chosen a similarly public option for their hiring process, it would have demonstrated to the community that Veiseth really is the best choice for the job.
"If that was done here ... it would have been well worth it to the community to show how he is the top choice, and the hire wouldn't have needed 'interim' included," Drost said.
The Herald filed a public records request for the resumes of all individuals who applied for the position. The district supplied only a redacted copy of Veiseth's resume. Attorneys for the district said that any other resumes "that may have been submitted" from external candidates would be considered confidential records not subject to disclosure, but did not definitively say if there were additional applications.
North Mahaska Community School District's instructional coach, Stacy Johannes, told the board that she has received positive feedback from teachers in the district who approve of Veiseth's hire as the new interim superintendent.
"They're happy to have Tim Veiseth in the role of superintendent for a variety of reasons," Johannes said. "One is that he knows the district. He knows some of the issues that we have, and he also knows some of the great initiatives that we have going, and he can support those and continue forward, hit the ground running and doesn't have to have that learning curse that a new person might have."
The next regular meeting of the North Mahaska Community School Board is scheduled for May 15 at 6 p.m.
Channing Rucks can be reached at crucks@oskyherald.com.
