Mid-Central Educational Cooperative is still taking applications for its executive director position through Friday, but with its retiring exec Dan Guericke on administrative leave due to felony charges, Mid-Central needs someone to mind the store. Thus, Mid-Central has appointed former Stickney superintendent Bob Krietlow as interim director. Krietlow retired last year as Stickney and Corsica completed their school consolidation.
Interim exec Krietlow will be joined by new interim business manager Merna Bye, who retired last year from her position as business manager for the Corsica School District. Mid-Central appointed Bye to that unenviable position last week Thursday at its regular monthly meeting.
At that meeting, Mid-Central signed contracts for thirteen special education staff (Penny McCormick-Gilles, Steve Gilles, Valerie Johnson, Kristi Kafka, Jayne Rubendall, Laura Bergeleen, Tania Witt, Jennifer Klundt, Nicole Palmer, Roxann Larson, Natalie Wright, Jennifer Boyden, and Tayla Thomas), accepted one retirement (Sara Fridley) and one resignation (Sandy Stukel), and then axed fifteen positions: Diane Olson, Roxane Dyk, Cindy Nagel, Gywneth Witte, Jean Larson, Holly Mosterd, Pat Hubert, Pat Bruinsma, Jeff Schneider, Mary Schneider, Robin Fischer, Renee Thomas, Jodi Stoddard-Herber, Jocelyn Grosz, and Mari Biehl.
With the impending loss of state contracts, such cuts were inevitable. But state money is still coming this year: Mid-Central approved an addendum worth $206,400 to Contract 2014C-551, under which Mid-Central provides professional development programs to schools on teacher effectiveness and Common Core. The original contract from June 2014 names Diane Olson as Mid-Central’s lead contact person on the contract. Listed among the half of Mid-Central’s staff let go, Diane Olson is the wife for former Republican legislator Ed Olson from Mitchell.
I’m curious about the vetting process. Were any Democrats involved in the process?
I wonder what programs were cut due to contracts ending with the state? These people that were left go worked under specific grant monies from the Federal to the State to the Local. I’d be curious to know which ones were affected and which ones were saved. Obviously, Special Education services to the children/via schools via certified staff would be needed to be kept in place.
Does Diane Olson, wife of former Sen. Ed Olson keep her job at about $84,000 plus benefits and a state car? By the way I have not seen the state car parked at their (Olson’s) home on a Mitchell golf course lately. How proper was it that Diane Olson could live on a Mitchell golf course and drive a state car to Platte? Why did she not have to pick the car up in Platte?
The state car is probably Ed’s. He can’t afford to buy his own insurance no matter what Diane is making.
Remember the FOB-s in the Clinton administration? Friends of Bill. East enough to check forFODs- Friends of Daugaard on State Boards,wouldn’t it?
Does not Mr. H’s blogging indicate this Mrs. Olson lost her job? That is how I read it.
Rod Hall is not indicating that Diane Olson lost her job Grudz. Hall is asking if she lost her job. Cory’s last paragraph raises an interesting point. Of course The Mitchell Daily Republic is silent on that bit of local news. Perhaps Cory or Angela can inform the public.
Did Any Original Employees Get Rehired? Will They Have Wrongful Termibation Cases Against DOE? Surely Not All Were On The Take and Have Valuable Knowledge And Experience.
Rod, it appears that Mid-Central is not bringing Diane Olson or those other 14 back for the next fiscal year. The extension of the state contract suggests that, if Diane Olson is still the main contact person, she gets to cary that duty out through this fiscal year. Click on the contract, and you’ll see that it is slated to run through May 31, 2016.