State names new Davenport superintendent

The Iowa Department of Education has named T.J. Schneckloth as the interim superintendent for the Davenport school district.

Schneckloth, who works for the district, was interim superintendent after Superintendent Art Tate left and before Robert Kobylski was hired.

This is the first time the state has replaced the leadership in an Iowa school district.

The Iowa Board of Education on Friday voted to temporarily appoint a new superintendent and chief financial officer to the district at the district's expense.

Kobylski and the CFO were not fired by the state board, a power that rests with the district's elected school board.

The Department of Education recommended the step because the district was failing to meet objectives in a plan designed to help it correct issues in a number of areas, including equitable education for Black students.

Among the concerns, state officials said, was the district's recently submitted status reports on the action plan that lacked data or adequate evidence of progress.