KCS leader a candidate for other jobs

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February 26, 2008

Superintendent Little says he has been approached by officials from two districts

By DANIELLE RUSH The Kokomo Tribune Tue Feb 26, 2008, 11:16 PM EST

Kokomo-Center School Corp. Superintendent Thomas Little Jr. is being considered for jobs at two other school corporations.

Little said he has been approached by officials from a district in Indianapolis and another in a Chicago suburb, but said he and his wife, Aina, have not accepted jobs with either.

“Aina and I are taking a look at options,” he said. “No decisions have been made.”

Aina Little is a teacher at Maple Crest Middle School, in the Kokomo-Center School Corp.

Little, 52, was hired as Kokomo-Center superintendent in July 2001, at a salary of $100,000. Since his arrival in Kokomo, all three of his children have graduated from Kokomo High School.

Little has a three-year contract that expires June 30, 2011, and the board has always voted to extend it an additional year each June. His annual salary is $127,000.

Board member Joe Dunbar said this is not the first time Little has been considered for jobs in other districts.

“Certainly he’s deserving of any kind of promotion he might receive. We would miss his leadership,” Dunbar said.

Dunbar was not on the school board when Little was hired, but had worked with him when Little was director of elementary education for the Kokomo-Center Schools, from 1993 to 1996. Dunbar served as director of secondary education during that time.

He said Little’s strengths as an educational leader are many.

“He’s ethical, he’s honest, he’s a good [public relations] person. He cares a lot about the kids. He cares a lot about his staff. He’s a good person to create a team. We’re going to miss him.”

Dunbar said if Little leaves, the projects he’s started, including plans to realign the schools and consolidate, will continue.

“He’s given us the basis. We’re going to move on.”

Former school board member Tom Miklik was on the board when Little was hired, and remembered why the superintendent stood out from the other candidates.

“We felt like he could bring the corporation together and he could bring factions of teachers in the community together and build coalitions and build teamwork. He’s met his charter from the board that hired him.”

Miklik said the Kokomo schools would be losing a good leader if Little left, and he would be disappointed for the loss.

“I haven’t always agreed with him, but he was effective. That’s what you need. You need a superintendent who is effective. I have a lot of respect for Dr. Little. I am absolutely ecstatic for him if this is something he wants to do.”

Miklik added that when the board hired Little, he thought then the school corporation would have trouble keeping him.

“I always thought he might get other offers. He was young enough to not have anything settled. I can surely understand why other corporations would want him. If he has opportunities, God bless him.”

If Little leaves, nearly every Howard County public school corporation will have had to replace its top leader in the last year. School board at Western and Eastern-Howard school corporations hired new superintendents in 2007 and the Taylor School Corp. is interviewing superintendent candidates this week. Only Northwestern’s superintendent, Ryan Snoddy, will have been in his job longer than one year if Little leaves. He’s been Northwestern superintendent since early 1998, and said he is not considering any other jobs.

Danielle Rush may be reached at (765) 454-8585 or via e-mail at

danielle.rush@kokomotribune.com

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