Board gives school leader feedback

RANDOLPH – The Randolph School board evaluated its superintendent and agreed to purchase two new vans at its regular meeting last week.

The board conducted the annual evaluation of Superintendent Daryl Schrunk in the areas of public relations; business/financial management; planning/school improvement; curriculum/instructional management; and personal qualities and growth; among others.

Using a rating scale of 1-4, the board ranked Schrunk’s performance in each category. A rating of 1 indicates an unsatisfactory score and a 4 indicates his performance exceeds expectations.

“The one thing we’ve really tried to emphasize that the evaluation is a growth model, not a gotcha model,” Schrunk said with the same evaluation model used for every position in the school system. “A ‘4’, that’s a place you strive for. You might dabble in it but you can’t live there. There’s always room to grow.”

While the evaluation took place in closed session, Schrunk said board feedback overall was positive with the board particularly noting his strong communication skills and commitment to building relationships.

In his second year as superintendent, Schrunk also completed a self-evaluation as part of the process.

He notified the board of his intention to extend his contract for another two years. The board has until next month to notify Schrunk if they don’t wish to renew his contract otherwise it will automatically renew.

In January, the board is expected to approve his annual salary.

In other news, the board agreed to purchase two 10-passenger vans to replace two older vehicles in its fleet.

The board analyzed two bids for 2025 Ford Transits - one from Moody Motors, Niobrara, and the other from Courtesy Ford, Norfolk. Some questions remained about different vehicle options such as seat material and towing capabilities.

Ultimately, the board gave Schrunk the authority to purchase the two new vehicles for a total cost not to exceed $130,000.

The money for the vehicle purchases will come from the school’s depreciation fund. The old vans are more than 13 years old and with more than 120,000 miles. They will likely be traded in, Schrunk said.