CHAFFEE SCHOOL HIRES DR. BIGGS AS SUPERINTENDENT

CHAFFEE -- Chaffee schools will be under new leadership beginning July 1. The school board recently voted unanimously to hire Dr. Bob Biggs as the new superintendent of schools.

This decision comes two months after Superintendent Ernie Lawson was told by board members that his contract would not be renewed for a fourth year. Dr. Randy Dooley, board president, would not discuss the decision not to renew Lawson's contract.

A committee of seven nonboard members screened 19 applicants and made comments to the board. Board members made a final decision at the Feb. 13 board meeting, and Biggs returned his signed contract on Monday.

"We were looking for someone that had had administrative experience," said Dooley. "Some of the other goals that we had was someone that could assist the school with grant writing, which is an important part in our technology progress and one of the main goals of our district."

Dooley said Biggs has had experience supervising grant writers and teaching middle school and high school social studies. For the last six years he has been superintendent of schools in Shirley, Ark., and has 17 years experience in all as a school administrator. Biggs and his wife, Teresa, plan to live in Chaffee.

Lawson said his yearly evaluation before the announcement was less than favorable, and the decision was because of "several small things" rather than any philosophical differences of opinion between him and board members.

"You can't do this job and please everybody, but I believe most of the people were happy with the job I was doing," Lawson said. "I think the other administrators were surprised because they know I've been doing a good job."

Lawson said hiring a new superintendent could hinder the district from continuing the progress it has made under his leadership. He cited a letter he received Wednesday as evidence that the school district was performing well. The letter came from Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) team leader Caroline Eastwood, whose team recently completed the state-mandated five-year comprehensive evaluation of the district.

Eastwood complimented the school district on its well-organized preparation of materials and documentation, and said the district's faculty and staff had been very accessible and helpful to the team.

"I'm sad, but I feel like with the MSIP behind us, we were ready to move ahead at warp speed," Lawson said. "Now the district is going to be hindered because a new person is going to have to evaluate things and make decisions about what he wants to do."