Moyer to leave

Superintendent accepts new job with pay raise in Illinois

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff writer

For the last 18 months, Burlington Area School District Superintendent David Moyer has stressed his “Roadmap for Academic Excellence” as the way to improve Burlington schools.

That roadmap may still be the future, but it won’t have Moyer’s guidance behind it as of July 1.

Moyer officially accepted an offer this week to become the new superintendent for the Moline-Coal Valley (Ill.) School District. The Moline-Coal Valley School Board unanimously approved the decision Monday night.

Moyer, who was hired by BASD to replace Ron Jandura in the spring of 2010, said he was offered the job late last week.

“Last night was when I got the news that they officially voted and approved my contract,” he said Tuesday. “Moline’s a good opportunity. It’s a good career challenge. It’s a community that’s very proud of its schools, very supportive of its schools.

“I’m honored that they felt I was the right person for the job.”

The new position pays $175,000 a year. Moyer was making $140,140 in his current contract with BASD.

Quad-Cities online reported the news late Monday. Moyer was one of four finalists for the position. The other three were Michael Meissen, Superintendent in Glenbard Township High School District 87; Lonny Lemon, Superintendent, Quincy Public Schools No. 172; and Lanty McGuire, Moline’s assistant superintendent for administration and human resources.

Another finalist, Diep Nguyen, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Evanston High School District, reportedly withdrew for family reasons. All four of the other finalists were employed in Illinois, as Moyer was before coming to Burlington.

Moyer said Tuesday that it hadn’t been his intention to leave Burlington this soon – at least, not when he took the position in 2010.

“I had no intention of pursuing other opportunities when I took this job,” Moyer said. “But a lot has happened since then.”

BASD School Board President David Thompson said he found out “a week or two ago” that Moyer had applied for the job.

“He just let us know he was a finalist,” Thompson said. “Part of me is surprised, because Dave is a very high-quality guy and really has a passion for improving the school system. He came in knowing it’s a multi-year process.

“At the same time, I’m not that surprised. Dave and the whole school district has been under a lot of fire lately … to do more with less.

“That has probably weighed on his decision as well.”

Thompson said bluntly that he thought the troubles the district has faced in the last sixth months – specifically, opposition to a tax levy increase last fall and continued opposition to budget decisions since then – played a part in Moyer’s decision.

“I think that has certainly motivated him to look elsewhere,” Thompson said. “When he has to continually argue just to keep his salary consistent, much less move up … I think that would play into anyone’s decisions.

“He’s a true educational professional. He has a lot of opportunities.”

Thompson said the board will now need to act quickly to get a new superintendent of its own in place.

“That’s going to be the issue,” said Thompson, who added that the board needs to develop a recruiting strategy and put it into place immediately.

“We’re already behind the eight-ball,” he said. “In most school districts that are conducting superintendent searches for next year, the process has already been completed.”