McKee isn’t new to sharing services and he said it’s become more prevalent across the state.
Two years ago, Southeastern entered into a shared services agreement with Xenia Community Schools to also employ McKee, who will resign from the Xenia post now that the deal between Greenon and Southeastern is signed, according to Greenon.
“That was a push from the state of Ohio to seek ways to share services … We may have been at the forefront, but it’s more and more common (now),” he said.
McKee replaces former Greenon Treasurer Ryan Jenkins, who resigned March 31 to take a job with Pickerington Local Schools.
Greenon will pay McKee a total compensation package of about $90,500, which includes several benefits like contributions to Medicare and the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio. Southeastern currently pays McKee $60,500 annually.
Comparatively, Greenon paid Jenkins more than $131,200 in total compensation, including all district benefits.
McKee joins Greenon at a time when the district faces financial difficulties, with recent levy failures dashing hopes of new school buildings, and millions at stake to fix up the high school, the district has said.
The district needed to pass a levy to match state facilities funding for new buildings and has said it can’t afford them without the state aid.
District officials are now preparing to move seventh and eighth graders into the current Greenon High School and close Hustead Elementary after the 2013-14 school year.
“I believe he is the right person to provide that same leadership at Greenon at this time and to help us come up with creative solutions to funding problems and continue our commitment to offering more for our students despite having fewer available resources,” Board of Education President Dennis Henry said.
“I will be diligent in looking for similar opportunities to identify cutting-edge ways of doing business to maintain Greenon’s tradition of outstanding fiscal responsibility and excellent educational opportunities for students,” McKee said.
The county educational service centers are another example of shared services.
Both the Clark and Madison-Champaign educational service centers recently received more than $330,000 in grant money, which they applied for on behalf of the numerous local districts they serve.
The centers also provide services such as special education, psychologists, and financial planning and analysis.
Greenon selected McKee from a field of 13 applicants for the position. The Greenon Board of Education hired K12 Business Consulting Inc., and the Ohio Association of School Business Officials to conduct the search.
He will begin at Greenon on June 24 and will work 35 hours a week at each district. He was hired at Southeastern in 2002 and has 12 years experience as a treasurer.
“Brad is an accomplished treasurer who has proven he can successfully balance the demands of fiscal leadership for two school districts,” Henry said.
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