A-P, GC could share superintendent by 2019

Aplington- Parkersburg may find itself in the market for a dance partner on sharing administration services, and according to board members and Superintendent Jon Thompson, a nearby district to the south on Highway 14 could be the best fit.

During Monday night’s regular meeting, Thompson explained that teaming up with Grundy Center provides an advantage because—perhaps unbeknownst to many—the districts do not actually border each other despite the two high schools being just 15 miles apart as the edges of AGWSR and Dike-New Hartford’s territories surround the southern part of A-P. Thus, under Iowa code, the two districts could never merge.

“People start thinking of the merger word,” Thompson said. “People think, ‘Oh, you’re getting rid of A-P or getting rid of Grundy. It’s actually the opposite.”

Neil Mullin, the current superintendent at Grundy Center who came out of retirement to replace Jerry Schutz, sees himself as a short-term stopgap, and with recent departures at AGWSR and D-NH, the idea of sharing is becoming more and more appealing for area districts.

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