By David Fenker
david@nmpaper.com
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – Manchester Community Schools Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart resigned this week after seven years as the head of the district.
His resignation was announced Monday morning in an email to teachers and staff, and was accepted at the MCS Board of School Trustee’s meeting Tuesday, May 9, and is effective June 30.
“Dr. Reichhart had agreed to resign prior to the expiration of a three year contract for a settlement of one year salary paid over two years,” Board President Steve Flack said, reading from the board’s agenda.
Per the agreement, the former superintendent will be paid $55,000 per year for the next two years, for a total of $110,000. Flack was unable to comment as to whether Reichhart will continue to receive insurance and other benefits through the district.
School Attorney Al Schlitt said that the board will continue to support Reichhart in the two lawsuits brought against him by former Manchester Jr.-Sr. High School administrator Lisa Ulrey.
The board did not publicly discuss Reichhart’s resignation or the board’s separation agreement with Reichhart before approving both 6-0 at its May 9 meeting.
MCS Business Manager Scott Bumgardner will take over the superintendent’s duties until an interim superintendent is formally chosen.
“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,” Bumgardner said in an email to teachers and staff.
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. He was principal of Manchester Elementary School at the time, and continued to perform those duties until the end of that school year.
Reichhart’s resignation 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.
Flack was unable to comment as to where the board stands on Zimmerman.
Several community members thanked the board for their decision during the meeting, including three Manchester Intermediate School teachers.
For more details, see the May 10 edition of the North Manchester News-Journal.