Stanic leaving at end of year
By Jeff Gallaton
North Olmsted
Published Feb. 28, 2007

Kurt Stanic

School Superintendent Kurt Stanic is closing the pages on another successful chapter in his career book and moving on to the next section.

Stanic informed the school board Monday he will be leaving the district after four years when his contract expires at the end of this academic year in June.

“It’s time. I have good feelings about my work here, but it’s time to move on,” Stanic said. “I’ll be going to a wedding in June and I won’t be back after that.”

He came to North Olmsted in 2003 after serving the previous year as superintendent of the Parma City Schools. Prior to that, he had been superintendent of Euclid City Schools since 1988, the district he attended as a youngster and still lives in. His first job as head of a district was in Black River in 1987.

He had planned on retiring after leaving Parma but came to North Olmsted after school officials contacted him about the superintendent’s position left open when Norma Conner retired.

“My retirements aren’t quite what my family always envisions,” Stanic said. “But I really am looking forward to spending more time with my wife and children.”

His wife, Ronni Stanic, a former teacher herself, said she also is looking forward to seeing more of her husband.

“I’ll be glad to have a husband who doesn’t always have an 80-hour work week,” Ronni said. “But I support him and how he handles decisions on education. All of our family is big on the educational process. I’ve enjoyed being around the schools and the kids. With Kurt it’s like having one big family because he’s always involved in his schools and the ones he was at previously. I’ll miss a lot of that.”

Ronni said she expects Kurt to remain busy.

“I’m sure he’ll get involved in something else with education,” she said. “Part of me would like to have him come to Florida full time. But I don’t think he’s ready to do that just yet.”

Stanic himself said he will look for something else to do in education.

“I’ll find something else to do, maybe consulting or helping out in some areas, I just don’t know what it is yet,” he said. “I’ll also continue to attend school events and activities because I’ve made a lot of friends and have a lot of people I care about here.”

He acknowledged that having voters pass a new operating levy in a February was a factor in his decision. Voters had rejected the previous four attempts to pass an operating levy, three in 2006 and one in 2005.

“I was happy to see that addressed,” Stanic said.

He said he’s proud of the excellent score achieved by the school in the state education rankings this year.

“When I got here, people said they wanted to see improvement in our education process and we’ve achieved that,” Stanic said. “We’ve put good people and programs in place which should help that continue.”

He said the best part of his time in the district is the people and the community itself.

“There are so many good people here in the district and the community,” he said. “They’re why this is a good district.”

His biggest frustration lies in district brick-and-mortar needs, he said.

“I wish we had been able to address our facility needs better,” Stanic said. Voters rejected a combined capital improvements/operating levy in November 2005 and a separate capital improvements levy in May 2006. Both proposals would have converted Pine School into the new middle school. The historic portions of the current middle school would have been converted into a performing arts auditorium and community center in the plans. Other district science, music and athletic capital improvements needs also would have been addressed.

He declined to speculate on a specific successor at this point.

“That will be up to the school board,” he said.

Board officials set a special meeting for 3:30 p.m. this Friday at the board administrative offices to discuss plans for replacing Stanic.

School and community officials thanked Stanic for his work.

“Dr. Stanic provided the leadership to stay focused on doing what is right for the students,” said Mike Raig, school board president. “Wherever he spoke, he reminded the community that the district priority was teaching and learning. Dr. Stanic was committed to maintaining the excellent rating and continuing to look for cost effective ways to provide the best programs and facilities for our students.”

Vice President John Lasko lauded Stanic for the district’s improvement during his tenure.

“During his four years as superintendent, Dr. Stanic has dramatically improved our district,” Lasko said. “Both academically and financially, he has positioned it for continued excellence in the years to come. He has set the standards for performance by which his successors will be measured.”

Senior school board members Don Frazier and Joanne DiCarlo also praised Stanic.

“Dr. Stanic’s leadership strength has proven to be a key factor in the significant success of the schools,” Frazier said. “The excellent rating on the report card reflects his focus on student learning and his ability build a strong team dedicated to student achievement.”

DiCarlo praised Stanic’s work with the public and said the district is committed to maintaining the excellent rating he helped achieve.

“Dr. Stanic is the most effective public speaker our district has had under my tenure,” DiCarlo said. “His rapport with the community and the staff and students is excellent.”

North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O’Grady lauded Stanic.

“He has been a fine leader for the district and in the community,” O’Grady said. “He’s done a great deal for the district.”