The Board of Education unanimously approved a motion to pursue an interim superintendent contract with former interim superintendent Dr. Ron Wimmer to serve on or before Wednesday, July 1, when superintendent Dr. Doug Sumner’s resignation goes into effect, at a special meeting on Friday, Feb. 27.

Initially, Board president Angela Handy presented three options for the superintendent search: do a posting through the district departments of human resources and communications, find a superintendent through the Kansas Association of School Boards, an outside firm suggested by Board member Rachele Zade, or select an interim superintendent for the time being.

Handy said the details of the superintendent hiring process led to the Board’s decision.

“A lot of our superintendents are under contract or could be under contract, and so we’re looking at timing,” Handy said. “We’re looking at our need right now, as we’ve got some holes in our director positions.”

Board vice president Tim Blankenship said Wimmer’s previous work with the district as interim superintendent beginning in 2009 led the Board to choose him to pursue as an interim superintendent.

“He has told us that, having been here before, he has a desire to help the school district,” Blankenship said. “We know him very well, and we feel like the teachers and other school district employees know him well, and so that’s what really played into it more than anything.”

As an interim superintendent, Wimmer will serve until the Board decides to begin the search for a permanent superintendent. According to Handy, there is no set amount of time for Wimmer will serve as interim superintendent.

“We don’t know how long he would necessarily be an interim for,” Handy said. “I think that once we get him in here, then we can move forward with that and just figure out the next steps.”

Although he will not run for reelection in April, Blankenship said he would still be willing to help the Board in its search for a permanent superintendent.

“I don’t know what will happen, but I’ll definitely still be living in the district and I’ll be willing to help out any way that the Board will want me to at that time,” Blankenship said.

Handy believes Wimmer will be a positive re-addition to the district.

“Ron has worked with our district before,” Handy said. “In talking with him, he has a strong passion and love for this district and only wants us to keep going up.”

Read more coverage on Sumner’s resignation here.