Monday, September 10, 2012
The settlement drops the district's lawsuit against former Superintendent Matthew Wendt and cuts in half the amount of transition pay he will receive from Ankeny Schools.
Former Ankeny Schools Superintendent Matthew Wendt and the school district have settled their legal dispute over the amount of severance pay Wendt is entitled to, the board announced Monday night. Following a closed session tonight, the Ankeny board voted 7-0 to approve the settlement with Wendt. It cuts the amount of his severance package in half, from a year's pay to six month's salary. The total is about $88,000 or $14,709 a month; down from the previous severance package of $176,000. Wendt and the district will pay their own legal fees. The settlement also says that Wendt, along with the school board, must not publicly disparage the others. A breach of that agreement would pay $14,709 per comment. The district's lawsuit had accused …
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Former superintendent Matthew Wendt has hired a lawyer and is denying all allegations in the lawsuit filed by the Ankeny School District in Polk County District Court today.
Former Ankeny school superintendent Matthew Wendt is denying all allegations in the lawsuit filed against him by the district in Polk County District Court today. In a statement sent this afternoon, Ankeny Patch learned Wendt has retained a lawyer to represent him in the lawsuit, which accused Wendt of fraud and deliberately misleading the school board when members voted to amend his contract prior to his resignation. Wendt will be represented by Thomas W. Foley of Babich Goldman, P.C. In the statement, Wendt said he answered all questions asked of him prior to his resignation and prior to the amendment to his contract, which provided him a $176,000 transition allowance had he chosen to resign. Here is an excerpt from Wendt's statement: "I…
Monday, July 16, 2012
The board spent more than an hour in closed session Monday night prior to a 4-2 vote to continue legal action against former Superintendent Matthew Wendt.
In a split vote Monday night, the Ankeny school board decided to continue legal proceedings against former Ankeny Schools Superintendent Matthew Wendt. The 4-2 vote came following a closed session Monday night in which members were given information from Ahlers and Cooney, a law firm the board hired at a meeting two weeks ago to see if the district could legally do anything to stop Wendt from receiving a $175,000 transition allowance following his resignation from the district. The motion was to “authorize counsel to proceed as instructed in closed session.” Board members Stephanie Jorgensen and Mike Rooney cast the dissenting votes. Board member Brad Huss was not present during that portion of the meeting. Board president George Tracy …
Monday, July 2, 2012
The board voted 6-0 to hire the firm to see if the district has any legal basis to stop former superintendent Matthew Wendt from receiving a $175,000 transition allowance, according to the Des Moines Register.
The Ankeny school board has hired a law firm to see if the district can legally do anything to stop former superintendent Matthew Wendt from receiving a $175,000 transition allowance. According to Sara Sleyster of the Des Moines Register, the board voted 6-0 following a closed session Monday night to hire Ahlers and Cooney Law Firm to represent the district in the investigation. Representatives from the law firm will present their findings to the board in a closed session scheduled for July 16, the article said. Wendt's last day with the district was June 30. At a special meeting May 28, the school board voted 5-2 to accept Wendt's resignation. Prior to the vote, the board offered Wendt a three-year contract including a 3.25 percent salary…
Friday, June 29, 2012
Buried in Nancy Sebring's emails are her opinions on the Ankeny school board and former Superintendent Matthew Wendt.
Deep in the emails that led to her early departure as Des Moines Schools Superintendent, Nancy Sebring expressed some strong opinions about the Ankeny school board and the superintendent at the time, Matthew Wendt. Sebring resigned after it was discovered that she sent dozens of sexually explicit emails to her lover, and writing the notes on district computers cost her a job she had lined up to become superintendent in Omaha. More of the emails were released last week after she lost a court fight trying to keep them private. The Des Moines Register reports that in one April 25 exchange, she tells her lover about a breakfast meeting with Ankeny Superintendent Matthew Wendt, and said “he’s got a crazy board.” Sebring called Wendt “an …
Friday, June 8, 2012
Superintendent Matthew Wendt will leave the Ankeny school district at the end of the month. He led the planning for the coming split into a district with two high schools.
While parents, teachers and alumni are reflecting on his legacy, the Ankeny school district has seen many changes under the leadership of departing Superintendent Matthew Wendt. While some Ankeny residents might remember the huge curriculum overhaul overseen by Wendt’s administrative team, others might recall him as the person who helped lead the district down an unprecedented path as it prepares to split to a two-high school system. "Ankeny enjoys a tradition of excellence, and I trust the last five years has respected the past," Wendt said in a press release issued by the district. "As a team we have worked to position the school district to serve thousands of more students with an even more solid foundation.” What do you feel has been …
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Matthew Wendt told The Des Moines Register Wednesday the money was negotiated in good faith, and the board was aware he was looking for other employment.
Despite calls for him to give the money back, Ankeny Schools Superintendent Matthew Wendt said he plans to keep the $176,000 severance package when he leaves the district at the end of this month. In a copyright story by the Des Moines Register, Wendt told reporter Sara Sleyster the money is part of a resignation package that was negotiated in good faith with board president George Tracy and district attorney Jeff Krausman. However, Tracy and one other school board member have told local media outlets they believe Wendt should give back the transition allowance. On Friday last week, board member Dustin Graber told the Des Moines Register he believes Wendt should give back the money to the taxpayers of Ankeny because it could be used to pay…
Bruce Kimpston, who will become the Ankeny school district superintendent on July 1, is recommending Matt Adams fill his current role of associate superintendent of schools.
The principal of Ankeny's Southeast Elementary School could be the district's new associate superintendent of schools, pending board approval later this month. Bruce Kimpston, the district's assistant superintendent of organizational development and learning, is recommending Matt Adams fill his position once Kimpston steps in as superintendent on July 1. Adams has been with the district since 2005. "I am very excited to work with someone of the caliber of Dr. Kimpston as the Superintendent of our district, and I firmly believe the reason we exist is to attain high student academic achievement," Adams said in a press release issued by the district. "We want all students to achieve a lifetime of personal success, and I will definitely …
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The outgoing Ankeny school district superintendent also said that he appreciates the school board recognizing he had earned a severance package. And Wendt says the Ankeny school board knew he was talking to other districts.
Outgoing Ankeny Schools Superintendent Matthew Wendt issued a statement Tuesday about his departure from the district and noted his gratitude for a $176,000 severance package approved by the school board, according to KCCI.com. The station said Wendt was responding to its request for comment on his resignation last Wednesday. Ankeny school district officials and residents have been buzzing since Wendt resigned last week, was granted a year's severance pay and then signed a contract the next day to lead the school district in Oswego, IL. Wendt will be replaced by Bruce Kimpston, currently an assistant superintendent in Ankeny. Kimpston takes over July 1 with an annual salary of $182,250. Wendt's new position with Oswego School District …
The new Ankeny superintendent has been with the district for three years. Learn more about his bio.
In the three years he’s been a part of the Ankeny school district, Bruce Kimpston has been the go-to guy to oversee the little details that make up the move to two high schools. He worked with the community to help select the mascot and colors for the two high schools, among other tasks. The school board voted unanimously at its regular meeting Monday to appoint Kimpston to the job of superintendent, offering him a one-year contract. He will replace outgoing superintendent Matthew Wendt, who resigned last week to take a job in the Oswego, IL, school district in suburban Chicago. “Bruce’s experience and vision more than qualify him to lead the district forward, and we believe his calm demeanor is exactly what we need to move ahead. The …
Sue
2:26 pm on Sunday, September 23, 2012
Joe, the old board didn't give him a parachute. They would have had to vote to pay him. No, that debacle is squarrely on the shoulders of the new board. They actually voted to give him a pay raise and extend Dr. Wendt's contract, then turned right around and voted to give him a parachute close to $200K. You don't know what you are talking about and this mess that the new board made just shows … more ›