By David Fenker
david@nmpaper.com
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. — Manchester Community Schools Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart has retired after seven years as the head of the district.
The retirement was announced Monday morning in an email to teachers and staff, and to the community at large via press release later that day. MCS Business Manager Scott Bumgardner is expected to take over Reichhart’s duties.
The retirement is expected to be accepted at the MCS Board of School Trustee’s meeting Tuesday, May 9.
“I will do my best to handle the responsibilities and will rely heavily on our outstanding team of administrators to guide us through this transition,” MCS Business Manager Scott Bumgardner said in the email.
Reichhart came to the district in 2005 as the principal of Laketon Elementary School. Minutes from the board’s Aug. 11, 2005, meeting show that he was approved by a vote of 4-0 for the position. Reichhart also took over the duties of transportation director while principal of LES.
The board hired him as superintendent with a 7-0 vote in November 2010, when former Dr. Diana Showalter took medical leave before retiring at the end of the 2010-2011 school year. Reichhart was principal of Manchester Elementary School at the time, and continued to perform those duties until the end of that school year.
Reichhart’s retirement comes after weeks of community discussions calling into question his treatment of current and former employees of the district.
A group of parents and community members met for a second time Monday, May 1, to discuss concerns about Reichhart’s performance and to organize before attending the May 9 school board meeting.
Part of the May 1 meeting included gathering signatures for a petition, which in part requested the board “to remove Bill Reichhart as he failed to perform his duties in the manner that Manchester Community Schools should be operated.”
The petition also asked that former Manchester Intermediate School sixth grade teacher Andrew Zimmerman be allowed to interview for his former position, from which he resigned after a discussion with Reichhart regarding Zimmerman’s conduct outside of the classroom.
During the May 1 meeting, Amber Isley, a parent of children attending MCS schools and one of the leaders of the group, informed those present that she had emailed Reichhart and all seven board members requesting that the group of parents and community members be put on the board’s May 9 agenda to discuss their concerns. As of May 5, the group is not on the board’s agenda, but two board members confirmed to Isley that they received her email.
Additionally, stories about former employees allegedly mistreated by Reichhart were shared via email with board members. Those stories were originally shared on a Facebook group made for that purpose, which as of May 8 had 906 members.