School Board Members Mull Superintendent Package

By Nick Lucchesi, The Telegraph, Alton, Ill.

Jan. 4–ALTON — School Board members began privately deliberating a contract on a permanent superintendent at a special school board meeting Tuesday night.

While in closed session for about an hour, the board went over contract details for the candidate but did not make an official announcement as to the candidate’s identity during the following brief open session of the meeting.

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Before Tuesday’s meeting, School Board President David Lauschke said that if contract discussions went smoothly, an official announcement would be made.

After the meeting, Lauschke said a few “technicalities” need to be worked out before an official announcement can be made. He also said he would like to see progress on the contract negotiations within a week but did not say whether anything official would be announced by the next school board meeting Jan. 17.

Board member Ben Golley has said previously that David Elson, the district’s interim superintendent, was the majority choice of board members. During an executive session on Dec. 22, Golley said board members voted 4-3 for Elson over another candidate, Carl Davis, of the Cobb County, Ga., school system.

Twenty-seven candidates originally applied for the superintendent’s job, but the field was narrowed to two in December.

Elson was hired in July on a one-year contract as interim superintendent, and the contract stipulated he work no more than 120 days during the school year. He earns $700 a day while serving as interim, up to $84,000.

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