Schwengel Hired as Interim Stew-Stras Superintendent

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Published on February 22 2019 2:11 pm
Last Updated on February 22 2019 2:11 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

The Stewardson-Strasburg Board of Education has been operating in recent months aware that superintendent Michele Lindenmeyer is departing at the end of the school year. In the meantime, a search has been going on for a successor. The Board hasn't been able to find a suitable candidate to succeed Lindenmeyer, so an interim superintendent has been hired.

The interim is Kenneth Schwengel, who was hired at this week's meeting. Schwengel will begin his duties on July 1, the day after Lindenmeyer's official departure for the Milford school district. It's also the first day Schwengel will have completed his Teacher Retirement System obligations and be eligible for employment.

Lindenmeyer said Schwengel was a longtime high school principal at Shelbyville and has served as superintendent at Atwood-Hammond and its successor district, Atwood-Hammond/Arthur-Lovington. He also lives outside Shelbyville and Lindenmeyer said the combination of knowing the area and being familiar with districts that cooperate in endeavors made him attractive.

In other personnel matters, the Stew-Stras board approved Kyle Workman as interim assistant Windsor/Stew-Stras baseball coach, accepted Renee Frost's resignation as guidance counselor effective at the end of the school year, and hired Tiffany Durbin as substitute custodian.

The Board reached a consensus on most fees for next school year, but are still working on lunch prices; approved the calendar for next school year with the first day for students on Friday, August 16; and set junior high and high school graduation dates for May 19.

Stew-Stras board members renewed an intergovernmental agreement with the Neoga school district for a school nurse; extended lawn care work with Nichols Lawn Service; and approved an intergovernmental agreement with Windsor school district for sharing an industrial arts teacher for the coming school year.

The Board reviewed possible summer repairs and maintenance work including Phase 3 of air-conditioning work in the grade school, as well as new cafeteria tables and some possible repairs on the school parking lot. An upgrade of the bus fleet was put off for another year.