Why are we using Ray and Associates to procure our candidates? Sure we've used them before but they haven't got the best references and seem to be ratcheting up the salaries each time we use them. They just procured a candidate that will cost the taxpayers more in salary and benefits than the Secretary of State earns. Ray and Associates are "suggesting" the salary ranges? Duh.....! They get paid based upon their candidates salary, don't they?
Mr Wendt will have one heck of a transition period with all the problems and disagreements in this district. So...what happens if he doesn't work out? Do we have to pay him anyway? Are we going to have to pay him if he decides to quit and go elsewhere? IS HE REALLY WORTH A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR PLUS?
So far, some of the press from his previous district is not very flattering towards him as an administrator and there leaves some questions regarding his integrity. I sincerely hope that Mr. Wendt truly does work out well here in this district. However, as the average length of service for a Supt in Illinois is a mere 3 years, I would not be surprised to see the musical chairs game played again in 2015.

Hey Russ - lets give the guy a chance and not run him off like we have with so many other people. This is the board that people wanted(for those who voted anyway) - this is what we have to work with. And yes, it is obvious this is what we must pay if you want someone qualified to run a growing district. We had a good Superintendent that we were PAYING LESS and we ran him off. I sadly get the impression that peope would be happy having someone in place with no qualifications while paying them $50,000. Yet people would still find something to complain about. But this is nothing compared to when it will be realized that we will still need to build a third high school soon and it will cost even MORE MONEY to do so. I could have told you that for FREE....

I am all for giving a guy a chance but read these and see if you feel the same way.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120607/NEWS/120607016/Ankeny-superintendent-says-he-will-take-severance-money?nclick_check=1

http://ankeny.patch.com/articles/departing-superintendent-does-not-intend-to-give-back-severance-money

Rarely do people in high level positions just up and leave without a back-up plan. If you are negotiating for an exit, you can probably bet that neither party is showing their full hand. He wanted his severance, they wanted him gone. It wasn't all love and roses, and now people are upset that he already (essentially) had a deal in hand.

Seriously, did anyone really believe he was going say, "Aw, shucks. You're right. You keep that money and swing by and see me if you're ever in Oswego, IL!"

Please

As for giving him a chance - is there really another option? lol

Brian what is the point you are making here - as the article states "Ankeny Superintendent Matthew Wendt intends to accept the $176,000 severance package approved by the board last week, despite calls for him to decline the money." Why should he give it back, what does it have to do with taking the job here, what does it have to do with anything. Why do we qualify people who have other approved financial arragments that are valid and legal??????? This is a criteria for hiring someone???? If he won the lottery would you have a problem with it.... Jane as far as giving him a chance, sadly there are people(as above) that have issues with him already that dont even have anything to do with the job and he isnt even here yet for crying out loud and the school year has not even started.

Under Dr. Wendt's tenure in Ankeny, school district property taxes rose to the highest levels ever seen. Instead of spending tax money on school buildings and teacher salaries, outrageous amounts of money were spent on things like artificial turf practice fields (over $1 million), bus garages, field lights and bathrooms at the football stadium, and other athletic programs. Now that Dr. Wendt and the school board have spent all the money, they are asking the community to pass a bond referendum (allow the district to borrow even more money) to build a new elementary school. Tax and spend has been and continues to be a huge problem in the Ankeny school district.

God, we cannot wait to get out of here (Oswego and Illinois). Just so sick and tired of all the flagrant spending of our money. Lots do like that though (Democrats mostly, and those on the education cash merry go round). For those.. c'mon over and move to Oswego. We have some beautiful properties for sale.. cheap!

From all the articles I've read it appears that his severance package was negotiated in bad faith. The board was not aware that he already had a new job lined up. Obviously, if he would have disclosed that to them then they would have never agreed to the large severance amount that was intended to assist him during his time of unemployment that never ocurred.

Is this the best that our District can do for a new Admin? They couldn't find someone without a controversial past?

I read those Des Moines Register articles...Dr. Wendt seems sneaky - that is my first impression of him. I hope he proves me wrong.

I'm tired of hearing that we are "in the middle" or "in the lower tier" of what other districts pay. That seems to indicate that we need to start paying more to attract goo people. So lets flip that theory around. Starting pay for a brand new teacher in Chicago Public Schools with a BA/BS degree is $51,000 a year. What is it here in district 308? $32K? $38K? It sure isn't $51K so how about we raise the starting pay immediately? Obviously we can't since it's supported by property tax revenue but it is interesting to think we NEED to pay managers and people who claim to have the latest and greatest ideas absolute top dollar and that we can get by with the people actually working with the kids on a daily basis, the ones who actually try and implement the latest and greatest ideas as little as possible.

As a seven generation member of Ankeny and a sixth generation of my family attending Ankeny Schools I will tell you all a story about Matt Wendt. I urge you all to read John Carlson,s "The audacious Wendt played us for suckers" in the DM Reg. Because of my long ties to the Ankeny community Matt and I had several meetings at his office and two such meetings with my wife and myself. Matt was using me to find out feelings in the community and I used him to find out what was going on so it worked for both of us. Matt and I always had a pact that what was said at the meetings would go no further than his door. When I disagreed with the opening of a second high school I was a thorn in his side as many people who know me believed what I was saying. We defeated a bond issue to let him know what we thought of his ideas and spending which has never been done in this town. I recently wrote a letter to the editor of the Ankeny Press Citizen asking him to PLEASE give back the $176,000.00 to my great grandchildren, grades first grade (2) and second grade (1) so they may have improvements to their schools, if needed. Or so we may hire a couple of teachers perhaps. He always stated, "we're doing these things for the good of the students", is that why he hood winked the school board in getting $176,000.00 when he already had a job at your school. What a scoundrel and dishonest person. He said he needed the money to send his boy to school. HaHa Joe Morr Class of 1954

Watch out! He (Wendt) speak with fork tounge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best of luck too you folks