Harrisonville Superintendent Frank Dahman will retire, school district announces
The superintendent of the Harrisonville School District will retire, according to an announcement sent by the district to parents Wednesday morning.
Frank Dahman will retire from the district on June 30, wrote Jill Filer, a district spokeswoman.
"Mr. Dahman and the Board of Education both wish each other well in their future endeavors," she wrote in the email.
No reason for the retirement was cited.
Dahman could not be immediately reached Wednesday.
He had been placed on leave less than two weeks ago by the school board. The district did not disclose the reason for Dahman's leave, citing personnel confidentiality.
Dahman and the school board agreed to a 2017-18 contract that included extensions through the 2019-20 school year.
Under the contract terms, Dahman was to earn $153,779 for this school year. The district did not immediately respond to a request seeking details of the retirement agreement between the board and Dahman.
Robert Watkins, a former superintendent for Independence schools, was named interim superintendent by the school board earlier this month.
Board President RJ Knox said in an email to parents that the Board of Education unanimously approved of hiring Watkins.
"Dr. Watkins has a 34-year career in public education, retiring in 1999 after 21 years with the Independence School District," Knox wrote.
After retiring, Watkins "served as a consultant for the Missouri School Boards Association and as the Director of the Kansas/Missouri Superintendents Leadership Forum — a professional development program for approximately 90 superintendents from the two states," Knox wrote.
Frank Dahman's son, Joe Dahman, was the subject of a 2017 Harrisonville police investigation into allegations of inappropriate contact between him and a student.
Joe Dahman had been a support staff member and coach at Harrisonville High School since 2015. He resigned after the allegations came to light last summer.
Lt. Chris Osterberg previously told The Star he believed investigators had built a "solid case" that was turned over to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office in December. No charges have been filed.
The school district did not answer requests for comment.
This story was originally published April 11, 2018 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Harrisonville Superintendent Frank Dahman will retire, school district announces."