WOODLAND SCHOOL CHIEF TO QUIT

MARBLE HILL -- Superintendent Ron Wene has announced his resignation from the Woodland School District.

His resignation is the fifth from area school leaders in recent months. Superintendents in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Perryville and Meadow Heights school districts also announced resignations or retirements.

Wene has been an administrator in the Woodland district for 21 years. He has been superintendent for 14 years and was a high school principal for seven years.

Although he is resigning, Wene said he isn't quite ready to quit the profession completely. He is considering part-time work in education, possibly as a consultant or interim administrator.

"I'm not ready to sit at home yet," he said. "I'm not sure what direction I'll take, but I have six months to think about it."

Wene's contract with the district ends June 30.

He said he had been considering a career move for several years and finally made the decision.

"There's never really a good time," he said. "I've been a good school man, and I want to go out that way."

A new elementary building was constructed on one of the lower tax bases in the state, he said.

"We've managed to maintain financial stability without asking for an additional tax raise," Wene said.

There have been other good areas of achievement, but assessing them all is difficult, he said.

School board members haven't met to decide on a hiring procedure yet, said president Jo Ann Shrum.

The board will be using placement offices on college campuses but hasn't decided whether to seek help from the Missouri School Boards Association.

The application process likely will begin in the early to mid part of January, Shrum said.