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Kettering sees no reason not to retire-rehire Schoenlein

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By Jeremy P. Kelley, Staff Writer 12:04 AM Monday, June 7, 2010

KETTERING — The superintendent’s job for Kettering City Schools would have to be considered an attractive one — it’s a large, suburban district with fairly high-performing students, had seen only one levy failure in 15 years entering 2010, and the current and past superintendents received salaries of at least $155,000.

Last summer when Superintendent Robert Mengerink left for a job in the Cleveland area, Kettering’s school board named Fairmont High School principal James Schoenlein interim superintendent. Then, rather than conduct an outside search to lure candidates, the board in February said Schoenlein would keep the job.

Now, in the wake of a May levy failure and with his contract expiring July 31, Schoenlein has stated his desire to retire and be rehired as superintendent this summer. The school board has a public hearing on the matter July 13.

No reason to change

Kettering Board of Education President James Trent has said the board was very happy with Schoenlein’s work as interim superintendent and saw no reason to perform an outside search. Board member Julie Gilmore read off a litany of Schoenlein’s accomplishments.

“He has worked tirelessly in this district,” Gilmore said. “Why should we look for somebody else. He was THE candidate.”

Ohio School Boards Association spokesman Scott Ebright said the OSBA performs about 30 superintendent searches annually for Ohio school districts. But he said many districts choose not to perform a search, either because they’ve groomed a replacement or, like Kettering, had an interim superintendent they were very happy with keeping.

When Centerville City Schools replaced retiring Superintendent Gary Smiga with in-house candidate Tom Henderson in 2009, it was after the district conducted an outside search through a private group, according to school board member Karen Myers.

Myers said Centerville’s candidate pool effectively was “the state of Ohio,” with the search firm using its knowledge of Ohio administrators to match candidates to Centerville’s needs. But in the end, it reinforced Centerville’s confidence in Henderson.

Retire to be rehired

Ebright said the average term of a superintendent is four to six years, making Mengerink’s 11 years in Kettering an anomaly. Ebright said while Kettering’s hiring practice was not unusual, the retire-rehire and levy angles make the situation more delicate.

Schoenlein says “there are no negatives” to his plan to retire and be rehired. But some Kettering residents are upset about the practice called “double-dipping,” where a person simultaneously collects a salary and retirement benefits.

“Retire-rehire is part of the reason GM and Delphi went down,” Kettering resident Dianne Raider said. “They rehired people making huge salaries and thought they were qualified to bring the company up, and it didn’t work. ... Go out and find fresh people.”

But Gilmore said Schoenlein is the best choice for the district.

It’s their money

Schoenlein said if he is rehired, his salary will drop from $155,000 to $130,000 with no raises expected. With 36 years of experience, Schoenlein will be eligible to collect close to 90 percent of his highest three years’ salary in retirement pay from the State Teachers’ Retirement System, with certain restrictions, according to district treasurer Steve Clark. Schoenlein’s salary from the Kettering schools and pay from the retirement system would approach $250,000 next school year.

“School employees build up a retirement fund over their entire career, and that’s that individual’s money,” Schoenlein said. “At some point, when you’re eligible, you say, I’m going to start collecting. Whether you’re working or not doesn’t matter.”

The ‘equivalent of winning the lottery.’

Kettering, like many local districts, also pays the 10 percent employee contribution for administrators and some central office staff.

From a local perspective, Trent says the retire-rehire plan will help Kettering schools. Between the cut in salary and requiring Schoenlein to pay his own 10 percent STRS contribution, the district would save $40,000 per year if he is rehired.

Clark, the district’s treasurer, acknowledged that some people have a philosophical problem with the retire-rehire policy, which could be a public relations issue after May’s failed levy and another one coming in November.

“They think people are putting one over on you,” Clark said. “What I see is we’re getting Jim Schoenlein for $40,000 less one day after he retires. To me, it’s the equivalent of someone winning the lottery.”

Contact this reporter at (937)  225-2278 or jkelley@DaytonDaily News.com.

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