Warren County School Board preps for superintendent search

FRONT ROYAL — Warren County School Board members on Wednesday started to get their ducks in a row regarding the forthcoming selection process for the next school district leader to replace current Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) Superintendent Greg Drescher, 59, who announced his retirement plans earlier this month.

Catherine Bower discusses the search for a new School Superintendent

“We need to have a discussion about how we want this process to go,” said School Board Chairwoman Catherine Bower during the work session portion of the School Board’s September 18th meeting.

“We have two new board members coming on in January and I think it’s probably not in our best interest to go ahead and start the search now,” Bower said. “We probably ought to think about appointing an interim superintendent and begin the search in January when the new board comes on so that they have a say in the process.”

In addition to Drescher retiring at the end of the year, terms are up at year’s end for School Board members Donna McEathron, who represents the South River District, and Vice Chairman Douglas Rosen, who represents the Shenandoah District. Neither are running for re-election in November.

North River District School Board Member Arnold Williams Jr. is running for re-election in November; his term ends on December 31.

Each of the five School Board members serve four-year terms. Terms for both Bower, who represents the Fork District, and for James Wells, who represents the Happy Creek District, end on December 31, 2021.

Bower suggested that members set a March 2020 deadline to hire a new superintendent. Wells, Rosen, and Williams agreed that was a good idea. McEathron gave no input.

More discussions about the superintendent search will be had, the chairwoman added.

Drescher on September 6 released a statement announcing his retirement, effective January 1, 2020. He has clocked 37 years in education, the last five years as the WCPS superintendent.

At the same time, Drescher has been on the fringes of the local Economic Development Authority (EDA) financial scandal, finding himself included in mounting public criticism as one of the primary public officials who could have prevented the alleged fraud and embezzlement. He’s been simultaneously holding the superintendent’s position for WCPS and sitting on the EDA Board of Directors — serving as chairman in 2017-18 when years of suspected EDA wrongdoing started to unfold.

Nevertheless, Drescher denied any related burnout factor.

“This is totally about my wife — this has been on the horizon for a while,” Drescher told the Royal Examiner on Sept. 7, referring to the health challenges faced by his wife, Debbie Drescher, also a former educator.

“The stage that she is in now is accelerating my retirement plans so that we can enjoy more time together,” according to his statement. “While certainly not the exact path I would be choosing, it is the right thing to do and I have no doubt will be best for all concerned.”

WCPS Maintenance Director Greg Livesay discusses the costs for installing the modular classrooms.

In another work session item, WCPS Maintenance Director Greg Livesay provided School Board members with a cost estimate for modular classrooms that would be placed at A.S. Rhodes Elementary School while renovations are completed this school year.

“We need modular units to create that swing space, or empty space, to provide the contractor more space to work within the school,” said Livesay.

He passed out a cost estimate from Charlotte, N.C.-based Mobile Modular Management Corp., which would deliver, set up, and install decks and ramps for four 24-by-34 modular classroom units at the school for just over $46,000. The company also would remove the units for an additional $29,000, according to the estimate.

The monthly rental of each modular unit for 18 months would run another $49,920 total; the electrical would cost roughly $15,000; and the poured footers for each unit — if required by the County — would tack on another $17,550, bringing the estimated total price tag to more than $157,000.

Livesay said the modular units would be located on the pad outside the school’s gymnasium, which inside would serve as temporary space for another four or five classrooms.

“That’ll free up about 75 percent of the building for the general contractor to be able to do his work throughout the school year,” said Livesay.

Regarding the general contractor bids for the A.S. Rhodes renovations, Livesay said the original bid due date, which was September 19, has been extended one week to next Thursday, September 26. He’s given several companies a tour of the school building to explain the scope of the work and said he will provide more tours this week.

“It appears we’ve generated more interest this time with this pre-bid,” he said.

School Board members also held a closed meeting to discuss, consider or interview “prospective candidates for employment; assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining or resignation of employees of the School Board, specifically two employee personnel issues,” according to the agenda. WCPS Director of Personnel George “Buck” Smith also attended the closed session.

No announcements were made following the closed session.

To view the entire discussion of these and other meeting topics, watch the Royal Examiner video: