Springdale superintendent draws institute interest

SPRINGDALE — Northwest Technical Institute intends to offer its president’s position to School District Superintendent Jim Rollins.

The institute’s board met in executive session Tuesday for about 30 minutes before announcing the decision.

“Dr. Jim Rollins has the experience, leadership capacity, work ethic and credibility both locally and throughout the state to lead us on our quest to become ‘world class,” said Derek Gibson, board vice chairman. “We are extremely excited about this opportunity and have the highest degree of confidence in his abilities.”

The offer is contingent upon approval by the state’s Office of Personnel Management and the governor’s office, Gibson said.

The salary range for the president’s position is $86,887 to $125,986 per year. The institute’s board is seeking to change the range to $108,110 to $147,200 a year. The board plans to offer Rollins the maximum salary under that range.

Board members said they’ve had one-on-one conversations with Rollins about the job, and he has expressed significant interest in it. Their hope is he’ll start the job by July.

Northwest Technical Institute is a state-supported school offering several programs for high school students and adults, including industrial maintenance, diesel technology, nursing and information technology. About 225 postsecondary students and 300 high school students are enrolled, according to President Blake Robertson.

Robertson, 69, announced in November his intention to resign at the end of June. He’s spent six years in the position.

Gibson, who has led the board’s presidential search committee, said the committee’s main goals from the start were to do the search swiftly, keep costs to a minimum and hire the best possible candidate.

“And I think we’ve been able to do all three of those things,” Gibson said.

Rollins, 72, has been the district’s superintendent since 1982. Springdale is the largest school district in Arkansas with about 22,200 students.

Rollins’ contract with the district expires Dec. 31, 2021. He’s paid $243,000.

The Springdale School Board evaluated Rollins’ performance in January as it does annually. The board granted him a 7.3% raise but declined to extend his contract by another year, as it typically does.

Kevin Ownbey, the Springdale board’s president, declined to comment on the reasons behind the decision. He said Gibson reached out to him about a month ago to inform him they were considering Rollins for their president’s job.

“I think it was appropriate of Mr. Gibson to at least make me aware they had that in their thought process,” Ownbey said.

Ownbey added he hadn’t talked to fellow board members about the institute’s interest in Rollins.

“We’ll put together a plan in the event he does accept the position,” Ownbey said. “If he has an opportunity and decides to accept it, we have a big responsibility to celebrate his accomplishments and find his replacement.”

The School Board held its regularly scheduled monthly meeting Tuesday. The subject of Rollins’ employment did not come up during the meeting.

Rollins, before the board meeting, said he was honored the institute’s board has shown interest in him. He declined to say whether he would accept the president’s position if formally offered, saying he preferred to “let the process mature and see what it might look like.”

Rollins acknowledged he would have a lot to learn if he does accept it.

“I will put my learning cap on and roll up my sleeves and do what I believe all great teachers do, and that’s learn right along with the students. And I look forward to that opportunity,” he said.

Leaving the school district, he said, would be “the professional challenge of a lifetime.” The district’s staff feels like family to him, he said.

Rollins said he has visited Northwest Technical Institute many times and is proud of the work he has seen going on in its classrooms, adding he looks forward to getting to know the instructors and hearing their vision for their respective programs.

He also said it’s critical the school build good relationships with the business community. The school “can play a prominent role in preparing graduates with the skill sets they need to go out into the workplace and help our businesses be more and more successful,” he said.