Feb. 3—The leader of the St. Joseph School District expects to be around one year longer than previously planned.

The Board of Education agreed to tack a year on to Gabe Edgar's contract, pending a formal signing in the immediate future. Edgar started work as superintendent of schools in July 2022, for a three-year term. With the year added on, he is expected to remain in office until June 30, 2026.

"I've come into office saying the school district needs to be the center of the community, and that's what we want to be," Edgar said. "So, since July 1, we've made a lot of strides toward that, and we take what the public says seriously as we move into the future."

His base salary of $225,000 per year will not change, except later this spring, when the board approves a cost-of-living adjustment for district employees. The percentage value of this increase is to be determined.

"Under his leadership, we have watched employee engagement increase, and city morale improve," said Board President David Foster. "We firmly believe that the district is headed in the right direction. We look forward to a very positive future with Dr. Edgar."

Edgar said his main motive for extending now is the understanding that several years of work remain. He would be eligible today to call it a career in the Missouri Public School and Education Employee Retirement System after more than 25 years of service to the state.

For now, first on his plate will be a permanent resolution to how St. Joseph schools are organized in terms of which students go where and for what purposes.

In the wake of converting Mark Twain Elementary to a preschool, and related acts — like the imminent redrawing of elementary school boundaries — Edgar said he has dealt with his share of controversy. He expects more discussions, many of which will be challenging, in the future.

"I think people understand that I didn't take the job to sit here and do nothing," he said. "And I'm here to make those tough decisions. And at the end of the day, what I have to do is, I have to wake up in the morning and look myself in the mirror and say that 'You did the right thing. You did what's best for kids.' And I can promise you one thing, that's what we're going to do."

Foster said the board agreed to the extension because of Edgar's "servant leadership," an approach to decision-making with transparency and humility. In addition, Foster said, more than $2.3 million has been realized by cutting unnecessary expenses while avoiding layoffs. The largest savings have come in food service, at $613,130, and transportation, at $195,203.

"He's heavily involved in the community," Foster said. "He's not afraid to make bold moves that drive us down the right path. Quite frankly, we chose the right guy for the job."

Marcus Clem can be reached at marcus.clem@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowClem