Dist. 204's Daeschner appears to be pick for southern Indiana job

Greater Clark County Schools in southern Indiana appears to have landed the leader it wanted in Stephen Daeschner.

School board members won't yet name the Indian Prairie Unit District 204 superintendent as the only candidate remaining out of 14, but city leaders and residents crucial in Daeschner's recruitment are speaking glowingly about bringing him to Clark County.

Board member Robbie Valentine said the public will get a chance to meet Daeschner next week at Jeffersonville High School, following meetings earlier that day with students and faculty.

Valentine didn't mention Daeschner by name at Tuesday night's school board meeting, but earlier that morning he was with Daeschner, a former leader of Jefferson County Public Schools, at a meeting of Jeffersonville city and community leaders.

Mayor Tom Galligan said he was the one who asked Daeschner, 67, to come to the meeting. He said the group has been meeting since the fall to discuss school issues.

Tom Lindley, a Jeffersonville native and former editor and publisher of The Evening News, also was at that meeting.

"Dr. Daeschner came to the meeting just to meet some business leaders and to be introduced and talk about what he's done in Naperville and Louisville and what some of the challenges would be here," he said.

Lindley acknowledged he's heard that there is talk among community leaders that they may be asked to help supplement a contract with Daeschner to close the gap between the $130,000 Greater Clark paid its last permanent superintendent and what Daeschner makes in District 204. His salary would be $266,235 as of July 1, the start of his third and final year of his contract.

Valentine said school officials are talking to the community about "a lot of things, from foundations to assortments of things, and right now we're negotiating his contract."

"We haven't gotten to the number area yet," he said. "When we finally get the contract to the point where the board and individual feel is solid, we'll announce how that will happen."

School board member Christina Gilkey said she is not in favor of using funds from the community to help pay for a superintendent.

"That's fiscally irresponsible to hire a superintendent you can't afford to pay out of your budget," she said. "Any private donations or whatever, what happens when they decide they're mad or don't like the decisions we're making and they pull out?

"Who's stuck with the bills - Greater Clark County taxpayers. If we can't afford the man, maybe we shouldn't hire him."

Rod Daily, a parent of two students in Greater Clark, complained at the school board meeting of the superintendent selection process.

"The decision has already been made," he said. "This proves it's a farce. It's just for show. It's a done deal and it has been since February.

"Why would they narrow down a 14-candidate pool and say we'll let you interview one?" Daily asked. "People deserve the opportunity to meet more than one."

But Valentine said that all the candidates were "tremendous" and that the board was together during the process.

"We were very, very solid in our decision," he said.

Reached by e-mail Wednesday morning, Daeschner replied to a series of questions about his trip by replying, "Good trip. Still processing, no contract finalized."

Back home Wednesday, Indian Prairie board members had mixed reaction. Board President Curt Bradshaw referred any questions about Daeschner's future back to Daeschner.

Board member Cathy Piehl said she understands Daeschner's desire to head south.

"His contract protects him, not us, and you can't force someone to work for you," she said. "He told us this is an opportunity for him to help at-risk children, and I can't fault him for that. But I would be perfectly OK if he decided to stay."

Christine Vickers, however, doesn't believe the deal is done and said she hopes a decision is made soon.

"I won't believe this is a done deal until he tells us the relationship is over," she said. "But it would be nice if we could start planning one way or the other because his position is key to everything else we do."

Daily Herald Staff Writer Justin Kmitch contributed to this report.