TWO SCHOOL OFFICIALS SWITCH JOBS

Two Scott County school administrators will move to new jobs next summer -- one to Drury Inns Inc. and the other to a larger school district.

Scott City Elementary School Principal Carl Rosenquist will join Drury in mid-June after his contract expires. Oran School Superintendent Jack McIntosh will become superintendent of East Prairie schools.

Rosenquist, a lifelong Kelso resident, is completing his 19th year in education. He began teaching elementary school in Scott City. He had been an elementary principal at Meadow Heights near Patton and an administrator at St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School in Cape Girardeau. He has been principal the past two years at Scott City.

Rosenquist called his job with Drury "a good opportunity." He said he has thought about hotel management for many years. "You get to the point in your life where you want to do something different," he said.

Managing a hotel is similar to being a principal, taking care of buildings, grounds, personnel and budgets, Rosenquist said.

Rosenquist said the Scott City school board has been "outstanding in its support of me." He returned his proposed contract unsigned to the school district last month.

Scott City School Superintendent Douglas Berry said the district has begun the search for an elementary principal.

"I regret losing Carl," Berry said of Rosenquist. "He's done a good job as elementary principal."

McIntosh, Oran's superintendent for the last six years, will start at East Prairie July 1.

McIntosh said he is leaving Oran in good financial shape. He said the school board has been very supportive.

McIntosh served a year as high school principal at East Prairie.

While he said he "really enjoyed" his six years as Oran's superintendent, he is looking forward to the bigger school and more challenges.

East Prairie is a Triple A school academically and a 2A school in sports. There are 1,200 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, 98 teachers and about 30 non-certified staff members. It has a $6 million budget compared to Oran's $1.6 million.

McIntosh's salary at East Prairie will be around $58,000 a year, and he will receive $1,000 for memberships in local clubs, mileage and travel expenses outside the district and $750 moving expenses.

Oran Board of Education President Tom Urhahn said the district was losing a "very good" superintendent. He said McIntosh spent every penny wisely and the school district has the best financial reserves in many years.

Urhahn said the board is split on requiring a new superintendent to live in the district, as is current board policy. He said the board wants the best-qualified person so the residency requirement may be waived.