Crozier to step down as MFL MarMac superintendent
MFL MarMac Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
MFL MarMac Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier will resign at the end of his 2022-2023 contract.
The school board accepted the letter of resignation at its Oct. 10 meeting, although Crozier indicated the announcement came as no surprise.
“We’ve been talking about this,” he said. “The board knew almost a year ago that I was going to resign in October of this year.”
Crozier has been at MFL MarMac for 22 years and noted he is leaving on good terms.
“I couldn’t ask for a better place to work or a more supportive community,” his letter read. “My family and I have called MFL MarMac home for a long time. I’m honored and grateful to have served you. MFL MarMac is a great place, and I will be forever grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of this school community.”
“I intend to be all in, 100 percent, through the last day,” Crozier continued. “I will do whatever is needed to get you through the transition. Also, if the board can’t find that one candidate they are looking for, we can talk. However, it is my hope you will find that person to lead this awesome district forward.”
The school board will hold a workshop yet this month to discuss next steps. Crozier recommended the formation of a search committee as well as hiring a search firm, but stressed he will not be part of the selection process.
“The board will need to select the new superintendent. I won’t be a part of that. I need to not have a say in that,” he said. “After the new superintendent is selected, there will be a transition. I’ve been here 22 years. I don’t understand how someone new could come in without spending at least some time with me to transition because there’s just too much stuff.”
According to Crozier, the new superintendent will not be shared with Eastern Allamakee, as he has been.
“They already have their superintendent selected, not officially. The plan is for the principal to be the superintendent there next year. That’s been in the works for a long time,” he said. “But that arrangement has been very good. Everyone is parting on good terms with that relationship. Karla [Hanson] will still be the shared business manager moving forward.”
Crozier feels he is leaving the district in a good position.
“Our finances, we’re better than we’ve ever been. Our wages aren’t at the top, but they’re far from the bottom. We’ve been attracting quality staff members. Our synergy of our school—we just hum. Overall, our school district shines,” he said. “Yeah, I had something to do with it. But mostly I hired good people and got out of the way and let them teach. That’s the most important part.”
In addition to Crozier, the board accepted two other resignations at last week’s meeting, from paraprofessionals Kristine Novey and Kailey Perry. Contracts were approved for Tracy Decker as high school assistant track coach, Victoria Nelson as school nurse, Ali Woods as middle school play assistant and Marley Hundt as a paraprofessional.
Vulnerability study done
Crozier told the board a vulnerability study on school safety was recently completed at the Monona Center. One is scheduled for the McGregor Center next week.
“The guy is contracted through Homeland Security, and he went through the school facilities and looked at everything. He was impressed with a lot of our stuff. We have a surveillance system, we have door locks,” Crozier said.
With the completion of the vulnerability study, MFL MarMac will be eligible for $250,000, or $50,000 for each school building, per an initiative announced by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in June.
According to Crozier, MFL MarMac will use funds to increase lighting on the outside of its facilities and in parking lots, upgrade the pixels in all cameras and add more cameras, so all exit doors are covered.
Soccer being considered as spring sport
Crozier brought up the idea of adding soccer as a spring sport at MFL MarMac, to provide another potential activity for students.
“I’ve tried to attract a diverse amount of experiences for students and increase the diversity as much as possible for our student population. I think having more opportunities for activities is a good thing,” Crozier said. “We have three former soccer coaches on staff, and we have a place we could do it. The overhead cost to start it is not expensive.$20,000 will start it easy, maybe $10,000.”
The school will start by sending out a survey to the student body, in order to gauge interest.
