BUCYRUS — Officials with the Bucyrus City School District have given their reasons for taking a more expensive option while hiring the new BCS superintendent, Matthew Chrispin.
The explanation came after Crawford County Now obtained financial information and contracts from the office of BCS treasurer Ryan Cook and Fredericktown Local Schools treasurer Heather Darnold with public records requests.
Chrispin was hired April 20 at a special Bucyrus City Schools Board of Education meeting.
The hiring came after a search and interview process was led by K-12 Business Consulting, Inc. Chrispin was selected from 15 applicants, six semifinalists and two finalists for the position.
The cost of the consulting from K-12 did make a dent in the BCS pocketbooks.
The Bucyrus City Schools Board of Education agreed to pay a consulting fee of $12,900 to K-12. Travel expenses not to exceed $700 also were agreed to during K-12’s leadership of the superintendent interview and hiring process.
BCS also had options to contract with the Ohio School Board’s Association and Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center to lead the employee search based on the district’s membership and partnerships with both organizations.
A public records request from the office of Crestline Exempted Village School District treasurer Alina Nemec showed CEVSD spent $8,500 with OSBA to conduct Crestline’s superintendent search, with $5,000 paid at the start of the service and $3,500 to be paid when the hiring process is complete.
Mid-Ohio ESC interim superintendent Ed Swartz confirmed in an email that Bucyrus City Schools were offered search firm services from MOESC at no cost.
Cook said the unique situation of current BCS superintendent Kevin Kimmel being the future superintendent of Mid-Ohio ESC and the possibility of leaving Mid-Ohio ESC for North Central Ohio ESC, a move the board eventually approved May 8, called for measures beyond using the existing partnership with Mid-Ohio ESC.
“We wanted to avoid the appearance of any kind of conflict and be as transparent as we could,” Cook said. “I don’t think the board thought it was in our best interest to use either ESC, not that either couldn’t have done a good job. I do think there’s a tremendous difference in the superintendent and treasurer search marketplace when it comes to OSBA, Finding Leaders, K-12… one of the biggest differences is they recruit.”
He added the search firms do not have allegiances to school districts and do not face direct backlash, such as an ESC may if they hire a superintendent from another ESC-member school.
“There certainly was a difference in prices, but I think price is what you pay, and value is what you get,” Cook said.
Bucyrus Board of Education President Dr. Paul Johnson said he liked the time K-12 spent with the community and staff while trying to build a wish list and profile for the type of candidate desired.
“That’s what they went out to search for and I believe they found him,” Johnson said.
Johnson said it is not in the current plans to use a search firm to fill the current high school principal and curriculum director positions. He said that job typically falls on the superintendent.
Bucyrus City Schools also will see an increase in expenditures with the contract offered to Chrispin.
Based on a 260-day contract, Chrispin will be paid $125,000 in the first year of his contract, with a 3-percent increase in pay Aug. 1, 2020 as well as additional increases each following year through 2022. Chrispin was paid $119,381.82 in his final year as superintendent at Fredericktown Local Schools.
Kimmel is being paid $110,115 during the 2018-19 school year.
“The market for superintendents is driven by the market,” Johnson said. “That’s an ever-changing, ever-evolving piece.”
Johnson said experience also is a factor.
“This is the first superintendent since, I think, 1976 that’s had previous superintendent experience.” Johnson said. “Everyone else had either been here as a principal or hired in with previous central office experience but not superintendent.
“Mr. Chrispin brought years of experience as a superintendent, so that’s a big, we think, bonus for our district. But, there’s also an expectation then that the salary is going to be commensurate with that kind of experience.”
Chrispin was superintendent at Fredericktown for five years after serving as principal at Marysville Exempted Village Schools for six years.
It also was agreed for Chrispin to have 40 vacation days per year with the option to cash in 20 days. He cannot accrue more than 75 days at a time. After an amendment to his original contract, Kimmel has identical vacation day options to Chrispin’s.
Cook said items such as vacation days are the product of negotiations between the employment candidate and the district. He said the board of education decided to agree with certain terms to ensure they hired who they believed to be the best candidate.
An additional $8,000 will be granted to Chrispin if he finds a permanent residence in the Bucyrus City School District to assist with moving costs.
“Mr. Chrispin will be relocating to Bucyrus,” Johnson said. “Anytime a superintendent makes a move like that, there’s an expectation. They’re not going to do it for the same salary they’re making where they are.”
Chrispin’s contract includes a clause that states he must pay back the $8,000 if he terminates his contract within 12 months of the reimbursement date, unless the board of education decides to forgive the expenses.
Until Chrispin’s contract begins, he was approved as a consultant for 25 days, to be paid approximately $12,000. This is to compensate him at the same rate as his full-time contract while he becomes acclimated with the district during the transition.
Chrispin’s interim contract will begin June 1 as Kimmel will transition to a consulting contract. Cook said it is the legal way to transition from one superintendent to the other.
“By state law, we can’t have two superintendents.” Cook said. “So, we have to kind of figure out how to move these pieces around.”
As the board now looks to the future after the transition, Johnson said he expects positive changes in academic success under Chrispin’s leadership. He noted Fredericktown’s jump from a “D” grade to a “B” while Chrispin was the superintendent at the district.
Johnson said that was the focus and goal during the search and was a big checkmark when looking at Chrispin as a candidate.