Keota/Tri-County Superintendent Dennis Phelps

The Keota school board decided Wednesday to change the duties of superintendent Dennis Phelps. School board president Billy Kinred says effective this fall Phelps’ position of part-time superintendent and the high school principal position, will be combined into one full time position. Current principal Nathan Carlson’s contract was not renewed and this superintendent/principal position is open to applicants. Phelps says he will no longer serve Tri-County this fall. Phelps gave perspective on the board’s decision, “I think possibly they think there’s better coverage with two full-time people as opposed to three people, two of those three people being part time. That would be my understanding.”

Phelps was hired as Keota’s superintendent in June 2016. Phelps had positive things to say about being a shared superintendent for Keota and Tri-County, “It’s worked pretty well, I’ve enjoyed the ability to be with two different school districts, two boards, and two communities. It makes a little more work but it’s also a good opportunity to get to know more people more closer and in depth. They’re really two different school districts quite frankly, so some of the things you do at Keota you would not be able to do at Tri-County and the things you do at Tri-County you can’t do at Keota. It’s kind of a nice learning experience from that standpoint.”

Kinred says the superintendent/principal position is expected to be filled this summer.