North County Joint Union superintendent Howard Chase resigns –
the sixth in 12 years
North County Joint Union School District finds itself without a
superintendent for the sixth time in the past 12 years.
Superintendent Howard Chase, who arrived at North County in
2004, announced his retirement as the school year closed this
week.
North County Joint Union superintendent Howard Chase resigns – the sixth in 12 years
North County Joint Union School District finds itself without a superintendent for the sixth time in the past 12 years.
Superintendent Howard Chase, who arrived at North County in 2004, announced his retirement as the school year closed this week.
While he would like to stay with the district for a longer period of time, his commitment to his family prevents him from doing so.
“I’m not leaving because of any situations. I’ve had a very supportive board and some great staff. I just decided it was time to be closer to my grandkids,” Chase said.
Spring Grove, the sole school in the North County School District, serves 547 kindergarten through eighth-grade students.
But it’s that small number that is the district’s Achilles’ heel.
“Statistics show that superintendents don’t stay in small districts very long,” North County Trustee Renee Faught said. “Anyone career-oriented isn’t likely going to be staying with a district our size for a long period of time.”
County Superintendent Tim Foley commended the district’s firm financial and academic footing and said excellent schools have little trouble attracting qualified candidates.
During Chase’s time as superintendent he was responsible for several changes implemented at the school, including renovating or replacing aging school facilities and a recently passed bond measure that will finance the second half of the facilities construction.
Chase was also responsible for an academies program that “will continue without me next year,” he said. “In fact they’re adding an additional third-grade academy.”
“During [Chase’s] time at the school enrollment is up and he has had a very positive effect on the education of the children. Spring Grove is a great school and it will continue as usual,” Faught said.
Trustees are now interviewing applicants.
Still, finding a replacement may be like putting a bandage on a gaping wound; it is still unclear how the district can overcome the problem of securing and keeping a superintendent.
One solution that nobody seems to favor is merging the district into the Hollister School District. Faught said that North County is too large to merge into the county, since it’s considerably larger than any of the other rural schools.
“Long-term I don’t think it would work for Spring Grove,” Faught said. “We’ve turned to the district in the past on a temporary basis, but we have our own budget and employ our own people, we don’t want to give that up.”
