Cape Girardeau school board evaluates superintendent

Cape Girardeau school board members continue to evaluate the job superintendent Dr. David Scala has done in running the school system. Scala is under contract through June 2008.

He received a 2 percent raise last summer, bringing his current salary to $135,150.

Scala said he's scheduled to receive a 3 percent pay raise in the new fiscal year that starts July 1. That will begin the start of the final year on his current three-year contract.

Board members discussed their evaluations of Scala for a couple of hours behind closed doors Monday night at the board office. The board adjourned without taking any action, board president Sharon Mueller said Thursday.

She said Monday's discussion occurred without the superintendent in the room. Mueller said the board plans to meet with Scala to continue the closed-door discussion on Feb. 5 following an open session to deal with other school district business.

She declined to discuss any specifics regarding the closed-door discussion. Under the state's open meetings law, school boards can go into closed session to discuss certain issues such as personnel.

Mueller said the board has been evaluating Scala on the basis of criteria spelled out in an evaluation process adopted by the board in August 2005. Scala took his position in July 2005.

Under the policy, the board is required to evaluate his effectiveness in eight general areas of responsibility: school board relations, district and community relations, instructional leadership, human resources, fiscal leadership, facilities management, professionalism and customer service.

Scala welcomed the evaluation process. "I have no problem with it at all," he said when the board adopted the policy.

The continuing evaluation by the board is no reflection on Scala but rather demonstrates the board's efforts to perform a thorough evaluation, Mueller said.

"When you are evaluating the superintendent, you are somewhat evaluating the board," she said.

Each board member has his or her own views about the district and the administration, she said. Scala, she said, must work with all seven board members.

"He has seven bosses," she said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123