Iowa City's Plugge accepts new job

IOWA CITY - Iowa City school district Superintendent Lane Plugge has accepted a job in the Council Bluffs area.

The board of the Green Hills Area Education Agency voted Monday morning to hire Plugge as the chief administrator of the newly formed agency, Plugge said.

Plugge said he would start that job July 1 but plans to stay with the Iowa City school district until June 30.

“It will be really hard to leave the school district, both the people in the school district and the community,” Plugge said.

He said his primary motivation for seeking the job was to be closer to family. His mother and brothers live in the Omaha, Neb., area. His children and grandchildren live in nearby Lincoln, Neb. Grandchild No. 4 is due Thursday.

“At this time, it's more for family and personal reasons,” he said of his decision.

The 57-year-old Plugge has been with the Iowa City school district since 1999, and his tenure has been marked by rapid enrollment growth.

His announcement comes as the district is facing two big challenges: the budget and boundary changes.

For the past year, the district has dealt with increasing budget woes as it, like many local governments, struggles through the recession and state budget cuts. The district expects to cut at least $1.4 million and possibly up to $7.4 million in the upcoming budget year.

Also, the district has just begun a process that may lead to a complete redrawing of the district's school boundaries, a major undertaking that is expected to wrap up next spring.

While Plugge will be around to see both those matters through, he said he expects to be criticized by some for leaving.

“In this job I get criticized daily, so, sure, I won't be surprised if there are some people critical of the timing of the move,” he said. “I'd like to think during the past 11 years that I've provided a quality level of service.”

Plugge said that he will, “without a doubt,” stay focused on his duties in Iowa City the same as he always has. He also said he would, if asked, offer any aid he could to his successor, something he said has helped him when he has started new jobs.

The school board held a special meeting Friday and encouraged Plugge stay. Plugge said the possibility of making changes to his contract was not discussed.

Board President Patti Fields said Friday that, if Plugge were to accept another job, the board's next step would be to determine the process for finding his successor, including whether to appoint someone in the interim and hire a search firm.

AEAs are regional agencies that provide services to local school systems. As the Green Hills chief administrator, Plugge will oversee 360 employees who serve a 15-county area in southwest Iowa that includes 51 school districts.

Plugge's new job will pay about $180,000 a year plus benefits, according to the job description. Plugge's current salary is $174,021 annually under

a contract that runs through June 30, 2012.