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Teachers to fill Edison post

JANESVILLE — Two veteran teachers will take the place of an assistant principal at Edison Middle School this year. The Janesville School Board approved the plan at it meeting Tuesday.

Steve Pease and Sid Larson will be co-deans of students until a new Edison principal is named.

Assistant principal Jim LeMire is filling in as interim principal until a permanent principal can be hired. LeMire was named interim principal after a search process this summer failed to find a satisfactory candidate.

The assistant principal deals mostly with student discipline. Pease is a learning-support teacher. Larson is a reading-and-writing specialist.

"Both individuals have demonstrated in the past their abilities to provide service and leadership in the absence of the principal or the assistant principal," according to a memo to the board from Steve Sperry, director of administrative and human services.

Both men have master's degrees and either have or are close to getting an administrator's license, Sperry told the board.

Pease and Larson will be paid to work beyond their normal hours and days. Each would be paid $11,365 extra if they continue with the added duties the entire school year or less if a new principal is named during the year.

Benefits also would cost more, so the maximum extra cost to the district would be $27,129 for both deans, according to Sperry's memo. The cost of an assistant principal's pay and benefits for a year is $118,351.

Board member Bill Sodemann suggested that if the arrangement works well, a similar arrangement should be considered for the other middle schools as a money-saving measure.