Latest news with #EdmondPublicSchools
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Salary, contract details for new Edmond superintendent revealed
Josh Delich speaks to news reporters after the Edmond Board of Education hired him as the next superintendent of Edmond Public Schools on April 14, 2025, at the district's administration center. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A new superintendent at Edmond Public Schools will start his tenure with a higher base salary than the retiring district leader he will replace. Josh Delich will earn a base salary of $236,903 when he takes office July 1, along with a $20,000 relocation stipend to move to Edmond from Minnesota, where he is an associate superintendent in the state's largest school district. Delich will succeed Superintendent Angela Grunewald, who earned a base salary of about $221,000 in 2024 and in 2025 received a total compensation of $248,144 when factoring in the total value of her benefits as well as her base salary, state records show. Grunewald is retiring after four years in charge of Edmond schools. After hiring Delich on Monday, the district released his contract Friday afternoon to Oklahoma Voice, showing the incoming superintendent's salary, benefits and additional stipends. It's unclear how much Delich's total benefits will cost on top of his base salary. His contract states the district will cover the full price of premiums for his health, vision and dental insurance, and it will pay both the employer and employee's portions of his contribution into the state's Teacher Retirement System. He also will receive $500 per month as an automobile allowance. In addition to his relocation stipend, the district will pay Delich $3,000 per month for up to six months to maintain his home in Minnesota until it is sold. Delich will earn $987.10 per day for an expected 23 days for work completed before he takes office as superintendent. A temporary contract lasting until June 30 states he will consult with district officials as he transitions into the administration, including assisting with new employee hires, budget work, facility planning and opening, strategic planning and other tasks deemed necessary. Because Delich will be working with Edmond schools during the transition, he will forgo compensation from the Minnesota district, the contract states. His Edmond contract includes a buyout stipend of no more than $18,000. The final amount of the buyout stipend is still to be determined, according to the contract. Once he takes office, he will be subject to a yearly performance evaluation after which the school board could agree to raise his base salary, which is a common practice for district superintendents. His salary could only decrease through a mutual agreement, according to the contract. Delich will be near, if not among, the top 20 highest-earning Oklahoma superintendents when he becomes the chief executive in Edmond, the state's fourth-largest district with 25,700 students. Norman Public Schools Superintendent Nick Migliorino tops the list with $411,955 in annual salary and benefits, according to compensation data the Oklahoma State Department of Education compiled. The state agency's list, though, doesn't include Jamie Polk, who leads the state's second-largest district, Oklahoma City Public Schools. At the time Polk was hired last year, her contract set out a $250,000 base salary, not including benefits and a potential performance bonus. Like Polk, Delich is a first-time superintendent. He has 21 years of experience in education as a teacher, coach, principal and district administrator. He was an assistant superintendent in St. Paul Public Schools in Minnesota before joining Anoka-Hennepin Schools, Minnesota's largest district. While introducing him as the district's next leader, Edmond school board President Courtney Hobgood praised Delich's experience, his heart for education and his 'passion for continuing the forward progress in Edmond and building on our history of success.' Delich said Monday he is 'blessed and humbled' to become the superintendent of Edmond, which he called a destination district with an 'immense amount of excellence.' He and his wife, Desirae, will have their two daughters start school in Edmond in the coming year, according to a letter he penned to district families. 'I want to infuse myself and integrate myself into (the) system to best learn what is going on with Edmond in terms of the excellence that's happening and also look at the areas that we need to improve and advance while at the same time giving a sense of calm to a district that I know, when you have a new leader, there's that sense of anxiety,' Delich said while speaking with news media Monday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Edmond Public Schools chooses new superintendent from out of state
Josh Delich hugs Edmond Board of Education President Courtney Hobgood after she introduces him as the next superintendent of Edmond Public Schools on Monday at the district's administration center. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) EDMOND — Pledging to continue the reputation of success as a 'destination district,' a school administrator from Minnesota will become Edmond Public Schools' next superintendent. The Edmond Board of Education voted unanimously Monday morning to hire Josh Delich as the next chief executive to lead the district of 25,700 students. On July 1, he will succeed Angela Mills Grunewald, who is soon retiring after four years as superintendent. 'When you drive around here, you can see the greatness that's happening here, and I want to be a part of that excellence and continue that,' Delich told reporters after the school board meeting. The board also voted to contract with Delich on a 'daily rate basis' as he visits and consults with the administration as the incoming superintendent. He formally takes office on July 1, but he will begin preparing for the transition right away by traveling back and forth from Minnesota, he said. Edmond schools didn't immediately provide details of his contract and salary. Grunewald earns a base salary of $220,000 and $26,700 in additional benefits and compensation. Delich is an associate superintendent for high schools at the largest district in Minnesota, Anoka-Hennepin Schools north of Minneapolis. The Minnesota district of 38,000 students is known, like Edmond, for academic performance above the state average. Edmond Board President Courtney Hobgood said Delich delivers not only experience but a 'strong heart' for education. 'He brings passion for continuing the forward progress in Edmond and building on our history of success,' Hobgood said after the meeting. Delich said he will bring 'external ideas' to Edmond, Oklahoma's fourth largest district, but first wants to 'listen, learn (and) lead to better understand what's going on before I start infusing some of the ideas or experiences I have into the system.' He said he intends to examine ways to improve four key areas: student achievement and outcomes, staff and teacher performance, operational efficiency and effectiveness, and relations with the Edmond community. Delich said he also hopes to connect with Edmond's state lawmakers and state Superintendent Ryan Walters. The relationship between Edmond district leaders and Walters at times has been strained. The district sued the Oklahoma State Department of Education after Walters' administration tried to order the removal of 'The Kite Runner' and 'The Glass Castle' from Edmond's high school libraries. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in Edmond's favor, deciding local school officials rather than the state decide what books to keep on school library shelves. 'I look forward to meeting Ryan Walters and spending some time, get to know the individual, get to know him, also for him to get to know me and then figure out where to where can we align and where can we best keep moving things forward,' Delich said. 'Because I know that if you're in the world of education, it's about students and how do we develop and create great opportunities for students.' Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Delich was adopted and raised in Minnesota. He has 21 years of experience as an educator in his home state and in Texas. He attended Concordia University, St. Paul and then the University of Texas at Arlington for his master's degree in education. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. Before joining Anoka-Hennepin Schools, Delich was an assistant superintendent at St. Paul Public Schools, the second-largest district in Minnesota. His wife, Desirae, and their three daughters will relocate with him to Edmond. Delich said he and his wife had visited Oklahoma before and 'could see ourselves someday being here.' 'The amount of welcoming, the genuine sense of belonging that one can get when they get here to Oklahoma is amazing,' he said. 'This is a gem of a state.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oklahoma City, Edmond schools closed Friday amid flu outbreaks to clean, halt spread
More Oklahoma school districts are closing their doors Friday in an attempt to stop the spread of the flu. Oklahoma City Public Schools and Edmond Public Schools announced Thursday they would close campuses Friday as the districts work to clean and disinfect school buildings. OKCPS will be in virtual learning, while Edmond schools will be closed. Flu has been on the rise in Oklahoma since late November, reaching a peak in the week ending Jan. 18, the latest data available. That week, 25% of flu tests in the state came back positive, and there were three flu-associated deaths. Other schools that have had to close this week to battle flu spread include Deer Creek, Lindsay, Dale, Piedmont, Ardmore and Marietta. Here's what you need to know about which schools are affected and about flu in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is not the only state dealing with an increase in flu cases. A quarter of all flu tests were positive across the U.S. for the week ending Jan. 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Strains of flu A were the predominant viruses reported that week. Nearly 6% of visits to a health care provider were for respiratory illness symptoms, while 31,234 were admitted to the hospital with influenza. According to the CDC's estimates, there have been at least 16 million illnesses, 190,000 hospitalizations and 8,300 deaths from flu so far this season. Symptoms and their severity can vary for each person infected. But even in a person with little to no symptoms, the illness can be spread to others. The signs and symptoms of the flu usually come on suddenly, the CDC says. Those who are sick often experience fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue. Vomiting and diarrhea can occur, more often in children than adults. Those more susceptible to severe illness include children under 5, adults 65 or older, pregnant people and people with certain chronic health conditions. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: More Oklahoma school districts are closed, battling flu outbreaks
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Yahoo
Edmond Schools placed on brief lockdown, robbery suspect in custody, says Police
UPDATE @ 3:28 P.M. – Edmond Police have confirmed, a Facebook Marketplace deal gone wrong at 400 E. Danforth is what turned into an attempted armed robbery. Authorities say, two suspects are in custody with one found hiding in a backyard shed. Police believe a third suspect was likely picked up and is no longer in the area. No injuries have been reported. EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) – Authorities in Edmond say a robbery suspect is now in custody after several schools in the area were secured. According to Edmond Public Schools, it was out of abundance of caution, and at the advice of Edmond Police, the following schools are were secured: Edmond North High School Sequoyah Middle School Northern Hills Elementary Russell Dougherty Elementary Boulevard Academy Legal experts say OSDE citizenship rule likely to face lawsuits Shortly after the arrest of the suspect Edmond Public Schools released the following statement: Parents & Guardians, Edmond Police have notified us that the suspect is in custody and it is safe for us to lift the secure at all of our buildings. Our schools are returning to normal. Dismissal for Sequoyah Middle School has just started, but students will be a little delayed in getting home this afternoon. Thank you very much for your patience and understanding this afternoon as we worked through this situation. Edmond Public Schools Administration *Secure means all students are inside, all exterior doors are locked and secured and nobody will be checked in or out of school. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
