BOONE, Iowa—Special meetings of the United Community and Ogden Community Schools’ Boards of Education were held on Feb. 10, 2020, and during those meetings, board members from both districts voted to enter into an operational sharing agreement for interim superintendent services for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year with the intent to share for the 2020-21 school year. The agreement will see Pam Dodge serve as the shared superintendent for both districts, with her work beginning in the United Schools yet this week.

The agreement allows the two districts to share superintendent services with a net financial benefit to both districts. Per the agreement, both United and Ogden have reserved the right to re-evaluate the agreement on a yearly basis so that they continue to make sure it is the right situation for both school districts.

“The staff and school board are excited about providing the two layers of administration with both the principal and superintendent.” according to School Board President Brenda Stanley.

Dodge is in her second year as the Ogden Schools’ superintendent, after serving the Ankeny Community Schools for 14 years. During her tenure in Ankeny, she served as a building principal and as the district’s Executive Director for K-12 Special Programs. At the current time, Dodge plans to be flexible in how she splits her time between the districts — allowing the needs of each district to dictate how much time she spends at each site.

Dodge says “Personally, I believe this sharing agreement will benefit both districts.”

United Schools has also hired Rumor Clark as the interim full-time PK-6 principal for the district, and she will be responsible for many of the day-to-day instructional decisions in the district. Clark is a former third-grade teacher in the district and recently Instructional Coach.

(contributed press release)