Olathe schools chief offered Arkansas job

Olathe schools Superintendent Marlin Berry may leave the district for a job as a superintendent in northwest Arkansas next school year.

Berry has been offered the position by the Rogers Public Schools Board of Education and that board was to hold a special meeting tonight to work out the final details of the contract they will offer him.

Berry has not yet announced a decision, said Maggie Kolb, Olathe district spokesman.

If he does move, it will be to a considerably smaller district. The Rogers school district, just southeast of Bentonville, has an enrollment of 15,077, in comparison with Olathe’s 29,567. There are 22 schools in the Rogers district and more than 51, including specialty centers in Olathe.

Berry came to the Olathe district as an administrator in 2007 and was named superintendent in 2010 to replace retiring superintendent Pat All. In 2012, Berry was named Kansas Superintendent of the Year by the Kansas School Superintendents Association.

Shortly after Berry took the helm of the Olathe district, the school was faced with serious financial challenges as the state cut millions of dollars of funding to schools. Last October, he was publicly criticized by Kansas Rep. Scott Schwab for comments he made about the impending cuts to aid for education and how they would affect Olathe.

Berry did not respond to a request for comment on his application to the Rogers district.

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 11:28 AM with the headline "Olathe schools chief offered Arkansas job."