CATAWISSA RR - Southern Columbia Area School Board is set to accept the resignation of Superintendent Charlie Reh Oct. 1 at a special meeting at the high school library.
Reh, whose contract is up at the end of the school year, announced his plans to retire Monday night at the monthly board meeting. His official retirement date is Feb. 4, 2013, but his last day on campus will be Jan. 18, 2013, the last day of the first semester.
The passing of a close friend in December has prompted the 64-year-old Ashland resident to take advantage of plans this spring.
"You're only here for a visit, and there's some things I want to do this spring. You never know when your time is up," he said.
In his retirement, Reh will travel, play golf and spend time with his four grandchildren, who are all under the age of four. A fifth grandchild is on the way.
Second retirement
Reh first retired in 2004 after working as a principal for 24 years and guidance counselor for eight years at the Mahanoy Area School District. He came out of retirement in 2006 to work as Southern's high school acting principal. When the superintendent position opened up, he was hired July 1, 2007, at a salary of $94,000.
His latest contract was renewed in 2010 when the board asked him to stay for their building project. Reh will leave the district at a salary of $106,000. His contract had called for him to make $109,000 in his last year, but he took a pay freeze to assist the district in budget concerns.
In the five years of his employment with the district, Reh said is proud of the work he has done with the board, administration, parents and students.
"We've improved the education at Southern Columbia, and I think we accomplished a lot of goals with the building project and the special education students," he said.
The $17 million building project eliminated overcrowding in the elementary school and established a true middle school wing where previously the fifth and sixth grades were in the elementary building and the seventh and eighth grades were in the high school building, Reh said.
The other goal of the building project was to bring 35 students with physical, emotional, mental, social or learning disabilities that were being educated in outside districts back to Southern Columbia.
In 2006, 35 students in the special education population were being educated outside the district at Bloomsburg Area, Central Columbia, Berwick Area, Shamokin Area, Danville Area or Mount Carmel Area. Of the 35 students who were being taught outside the district, 33 students have successfully been returned to Southern Columbia schools.
Furthermore, Reh noted inclusive practices, common planning time with teachers, academic excellence of meeting AYP and requirements of PSSA testing and technology upgrades as accomplishments he is proud of under his watch.
The most difficult part of the job has been trying to maintain academic excellence without the needed funding from the state, he said.
Because of subsidy changes in Harrisburg, Reh said they were forced to implement pay freezes and furlough employees.
He complimented the administration, teachers and school board for their cooperation and hard work through his time as superintendent.
"I will really miss the friendships," he said.
He added jokingly, "But, I won't miss the meetings."
Super sharing
The meeting to accept Reh's resignation will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, and the board will also discuss the direction they want to move forward - whether they will hire someone new immediately or appoint an acting superintendent, explained President Mike Yeager.
In previous meetings, Vice President Charlie Porter has suggested a unique move for Reh's replacement in which Southern could share a superintendent with another district.
"In the business world, it's done. There are CEOs of multiple companies. I see it work in the business world, why can't education follow that model?" he said.
It could potentially save money, but there hasn't been much research into the suggestion yet, Porter noted.
He recognizes there are also potential cons to the idea, such as dividing time between two boards and coordinating all public meetings.
Reh said he doesn't think that's the direction the district should go when he retires.
"If you have two separate school boards and two separate set of policies, I don't see that being very effective. I'm not saying it couldn't be done, I just believe there is a need to have one superintendent for each school district," he said.
Porter said it's premature of himself to support a multi-district superintendent concept when the board has yet to discuss the issue publicly.
The vice president also suggested combining the duties of another administrative position, such as curriculum director, with the duties of the superintendent position.
"I see merit in a multi-district superintendent, but if there's sentiment to look at combining duties, I would drop any support for it. That would be too much for a person to do," Porter said.
The curriculum director position is the only administrative position Reh said he could plausibly see as working in combining duties.
"I can never see a principal assuming the role as superintendent. You never know what you're facing with students and teachers in one day. A curriculum director has a more planned-out day," Reh said.
The next superintendent should be someone who specializes in curriculum and technology, he said.
Yeager said he would reserve his comments for the discussion on Oct. 1.