By Norma Dittman Action taken by the Fulda School Board regarding Superintendent Mike Pagel was reversed at a special meeting on December 17th.
Approximately fifty people attended the meeting to hear the board’s discussion and decision regarding a motion made by Paul Duerr on November 10th to approve a Notice of Non-Renewal Letter to Superintendent Michael Pagel. The superintendent’s contract is scheduled to end in June of 2026.
There has been considerable staff and public interest regarding the board’s decision, as the item regarding the superintendent’s contract was added at the last-minute to the November agenda, and the letter was then hand-delivered to Pagel after a 4-3 vote to approve the motion.
At the December special meeting, board chair Doug Clarke explained that Pagel had the right to request a meeting with the board to discuss its intentions, the reasons for its decision, and any ways in which concerns might be addressed.
When Pagel addressed the board last week, he briefly described the events leading up to the special meeting and stated that, as he strongly believes in transparency, he had notified staff of the board’s decision.
In the letter of non-renewal, listed by the board was wanting to see the District move in a different direction with new leadership.
Pagel talked about the Fulda School District Strategic Plan that was developed by the board, administration, staff, and public members. According to Pagel, several of the strategic goals listed have been met while others are still being worked on. Areas listed in the Strategic Plan focus on student growth and achievement, student support and well-being, family and community engagement and effective resource management.
After briefly describing each of the goals, Pagel stated, “We want to address the goals of achievement for our students... we want to support our students... and have families and the community made aware of what is happening within the district.”
When talking about the Effective Resource Management goal, Pagel commented, “I am very conscious about resource management. We need to be responsible with the resources that we have.”
“If you have more goals, please present them. We will definitely discuss them,” Pagel stated. “Regarding the non-renewal letter that was handed to me - no other employee in the District would have been treated this way. And I have had no other investigations into me except the one this fall.”
Board member Loren Carlson made a motion to rescind the letter, and pointed out that there needs to be a communications improvement plan that will be worked on by all involved. “It is obvious that the staff supports our superintendent,” Carlson stated.
The motion was seconded by Board member Brian Vander-Beek.
Board member Kayla Clarke, who opposed the motion, stated, “It seems like the communities eyes are different. I was elected to be a voice heard, and this is hard because there is a disconnect.” She talked about the community survey that was sent out, and her belief that the survey was not taken seriously by administration.”
The Fulda Public School Strategic Plan 2023-2028 is available on the school’s website at fps.mntm.org.
