Deputy superintendent signs three-year pact to lead district.
EVAN YOUNG
December 01, 2010 - Mehlville Superintendent Terry Noble announced Wednesday he will retire at the end of the current school year.
Noble, who became superintendent in 2007 and currently is working under a one-year contract, will step down on June 30.
The Board of Education voted in closed session Wednesday to name Deputy Superintendent Eric Knost as Noble's successor effective July 1.
Board President Tom Diehl said the vote was unanimous.
Knost signed a three-year contract with the district. He will be paid $185,000 a year. Noble's salary for the 2010-2011 school year is $192,798.
"I believe Dr. Knost to be a great choice to lead our district into the future," Noble stated in a district news release. "His selection will ensure a seamless transition."
Knost has worked in education for more than two decades. He joined Mehlville in July 2002 as principal of Oakville High School. He was promoted to the position of north area superintendent in July 2005 and to his current position in November 2006.
"Having worked closely with Superintendent Terry Noble these last four years will allow Dr. Knost to continue the district's vision of providing institutional excellence, fiscal responsibility and community benefit," Diehl said in a statement.
Knost previously served as an assistant principal in the Parkway School District and as band director for the Rockwood School District.
At a board work session Wednesday, the deputy superintendent thanked Noble for his service and board members for their "confidence in my leadership."
"I will lead, and I will not disappoint," Knost said. "I thank you for this awesome opportunity."
Look for a full story in next week's Call.
I guess it's NOT for the children after all, is it Terry?
ReplyDeleteI know who is for the children! This web site. If this web site is not for the children then nothing is! Keep up the good work protectors of the children!
ReplyDeleteGood man, sorry to hear he is leaving.
ReplyDeleteSeriously? Why would he stay? When people from the community make asinine statements like that?
ReplyDeletePlease note.... Eric Knost's contract didn't save the district that much money folks, but the district is losing an excellent administrator in Noble. I hope that the community offers more support to Dr. Knost than it did to Mr. Noble.
I too hope the community is more respectful and decent to Mr. Knost. The children of Mehlville and the taxpayers are losing a great asset and who knows what more due to the failure of Prop C and MCTA.
ReplyDeleteMCTA has not yet addressed questions from previous comments on other threads. Well?
Let;s see, Knost tried to get hired as superintendent of Webster Groves, he was NOT hired. Then, tried to applied for superintendent job at Lindbergh, and was NOT hired. Then FINALLY he got job and a HUGE pay increase from the Board of Idiots at Mehlville.
ReplyDeleteThis board is SO LAZY that they didn't even do a search for a new superintendent. What we now get is another quick fix (like Noble's huge $44,000 raise) and an incompetent untested bureaucrat in the top spot in our school district. I wonder how Knost will deal with 3 reform candidates in April who will shake the Mehlville School District to its core?
If it's true that the board did not search for an outside superintendent, then they saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars, perhaps $50K. Plus, maybe they figured that no new hire, would survive the circus that is the Mehlville, without first hand experience. I have met Dr Knost. I think he will be a fine leader.
ReplyDeleteDear Babelizer,
ReplyDeleteI would greatly appreciate the opportunity to talk with you personally. I am very interested in providing people an avenue to express concerns and to offer suggestions directly to me and/or the school district. Anonymous blogs or letters provide an avenue for people to vent but such entries do not serve as solutions. I would love to hear from you and would gladly take your call anytime (467-5007). If for any reason I am not available, I will be sure to return your call. Please know I'm very sincere and not interested in firing back at you. I have a real belief in unity in our community and that belief fuels my attempts to reach out and listen.
Also, since you mentioned my attempts at other superintendencies, I wanted to point out that I'm very proud of being a finalist amongst a multitude of candidates in not only the districts you listed, but others as well. Regardless, I'm thrilled to be afforded the option to lead Mehlville and to continue my career in this district. I'm also happy the board could make this decision without spending upwards to $30K on a search process similar to what other districts (most) typically do.
I hope you'll consider talking with me personally about your concerns. As the incoming superintendent, I plan to monitor the local letters and blogs and I will respond when appropriate. Thanks for listening. Eric Knost
To all those of the mehville community; Mr Nobles retirement is not based mainly on prop C failure. Understand that the main reason is that is how the state system works. Until we as taxpayers get the empty suits in Jeff City to change how the retirement plan for teachers and administrators is set up all of us suffer down this path of destruction. This retirement system can not sustain itself. Question, do you know that the reirement board is made up of retired educators! And that is a state statue!
ReplyDeleteRegarding Mr. Knost, give the man a chance. And thank goodness the BOE didn't spend $75,000 looking for another super. Remember we need to help build MSD better.
Regarding comments to other threads; you are not going to tax this community to a surplus and get to WG or KW Status. And we are not going to cut our way to a surplus. MSD recent announcements of cuts is a start. I would also increase all employees contribution to health insurance. I read on one of the audit reports the district took in $500,000.00 less than it paid out. How would that work at your house or business? They mentioned cutting bus service. We suggest make ridership pay for the bus service. If you were willing to hand over $380 a year in taxes, then you should be able to afford bus service. Bump up the rental fees on the two turf fields. They are the ony ones in South County. So these kinds of items can go on and on but ultimately taxes will have to increase unless we find another way to generate revenue.
So one idea would be to have the voters decide on a 1/10 or 1/8 sales tax within the MSD. the tax could only be used for capital improvemnts and technology information up grades, period. this would act like what the Missouri Conservation department has. And it is the only department in the state government that has a surplus, every year. We need to get our representatives on board with this. if a private developer can get a 1.5% tax added to the developements generated sales why can not a school district. you didn't even to have a vote on that tax.
So we are on a new coarse and hope to make it the best school district using what we have.
Oh by the way did yo see where Rockwood has to cut 7mil form the budget this year.
If you think that bus service will be the only thing cut, you'll be mistaken.
ReplyDeleteI don't think unincorporated townships can levy sales taxes in this state. Ask your new Rep. Haefner. She wants to fix this school funding mess...tell her to get to work. What did Walt Bivens do for this issue? Ask Kurt Witzel to get to work on it....
Don't hold your breath that other funding will appear.
We are on the same course and hope to continue to keep it a fairly well performing district that makes do with so very little every single day. Gosh, what this district could have become with the backing of our community. What's the owl in the tootsie pop commercial say? "The world will never know."
Liz,
ReplyDeleteWe were at the Dec board meeting that proposed cuts in spending. So we are not mistaken.
the sales tax issue has been brought up to the newly elected state rep's and we will continue to pursue this issue.
We believe Mr Bivens did work to change the funding process. But like all things in this state, it is run by the rural communities, not the the big cities.
We are not holding our breath on additional funding. We believe the BOE and Administation is going in the right direction with the proposed spending cuts/freezes. We will continue to watch the budget requirements of the district. We will also offer any suggestions that we or other community memebers may have.
Would'a, could'a, should'a, it is time to move forward. This district is never going to be a WG or KW or Clayton, just not in the make up of the community. If you are at your best with what you have to work with, then that is something to be proud of! That is the foundation that needs to be built on with the direction and involvment of the community.
I need to know before 7am if we are having a snowday or not. Most other schools close to us have called it.!!
ReplyDeleteFor $250,000, he can make that decision earlier
Huh? $250k? Where do you get that figure?
ReplyDeleteThe decision was made by 5:15 am. All calls made before 5:30am. If you didn't get a school reach call, you should contact your kid's school and update your phone number. The district site was updated by about 6am and I saw it on 3 news stations before then.
Phone calls start around 5am if classes are cancelled. Sign up through Parent Link on district website.
ReplyDelete