Board president: Klooz still CCS superintendent

    While a lot of questions couldn’t be answered because they deal with personnel, CCS Board President Jeff Olsen said Tuesday Randy Klooz is still the school superintendent at Chase County Schools.
    Olsen said there has been no formal action on Klooz’s employment or contract.
    He reiterated that Wednesday when contacted again after the Republican learned of a special school board meeting, scheduled for this Friday at 7 a.m.
    Friday morning’s agenda shows the only discussion item to be “bookkeeping position—steps to hire.”
    However, Friday’s agenda also includes this item: “Approval of agenda and changes to agenda.”
    Olsen wouldn’t confirm if there are plans to change the agenda to include discussion of any other position, such as Klooz’s.
    “It possibly could be changed today (Wednesday)” or Thursday, he said.
    State statute reads, “Except for items of an emergency nature, the agenda shall not be altered later than 24 hours before the scheduled commencement of the meeting.”
    It continues, “The public body shall have the right to modify the agenda to include items of an emergency nature only at such public meeting.”
    Olsen said the bookkeeping agenda item is there to discuss the hiring steps to replace Jon Anderjaska, who’s worked as business manager at CCS since this spring.
    Olsen said Anderjaska resigned, and has taken a position in McCook. He was hired last spring to replace Crystal Peterson. He left last week.
    Klooz is in his second year as CCS superintendent. He has been away from his desk since Oct. 8, Olsen said, and was not at the school  Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday this week.
    He did not attend the Oct. 8 school board meeting.
    Olsen said Tuesday Klooz has been taking vacation time.
    As questions about his status at the school are circulating in the community and school, Olsen said he could not comment further about Klooz’s future.
    The board has met at least four times since August in closed session for superintendent evaluation and personnel issues.
    At the Aug. 13 meeting, the board met in closed session nearly two hours on the superintendent’s evaluation as well as negotiations.
    After the Sept. 16 regular meeting, the board met in closed session for three hours. At a special meeting Sept. 30, it was another three-hour closed meeting. After the Oct. 8 monthly meeting, a closed session was held for more than an hour. In all four, evaluation of the superintendent was listed as a reason for the closed session.
    Olsen said he had no comment on whether the board has hired its own legal counsel.
    Several CCS staff members who were asked whether they’ve been given reasons for Klooz’s absence said they had received no information.
    Olsen indicated Klooz’s absence doesn’t have direct effect on the staff, since their first contact with administrative questions should be directed to their principal—Becky Odens for grades K-6 and Jon Lechtenberg for 7-12. Olsen said he believes Klooz has been available to the principals.
    Klooz was hired in January 2018, serving his first year as superintendent in 2018-19 at a salary of $140,000.
    For the current school year, he is being paid $145,000.