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Saturday, June 4, 2005
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Little Falls superintendent takes Colorado job
Staff Writer Little Falls School District Superintendent Sharon Thomas said Friday she accepted a superintendent position with the Colorado Springs School Board District No. 11. The school board in District 11 approved the contract Thursday.
Thomas, 55, said her contract with Little Falls ends June 30 and her first day in Colorado Springs will be July 1.
Thomas said deciding to take the position in Colorado Springs was difficult. She said she has an established relationship with the Little Falls School Board and staff and she has made many friends.
Thomas said in her three years in the Little Falls School District the school was able to get out of statutory operating debt, had an operating levy pass and has seen improvements on students' state test results.
Thomas said the school district is heading in the right direction. It will be restoring programs and staff this fall and will reopen the libraries and pool.
"The sky is the limit in Little Falls," said Thomas. "They have good things on the horizon and it will be hard to walk away from that.
"(However) Colorado Springs is home for me."
Thomas was an attorney for the Colorado Springs District No. 11 for seven years before coming to Little Falls. The Colorado district consists of 67 schools, including 39 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 12 high schools, four alternative schools and a K-8 school.
Thomas said going from a small school district like Little Falls with a student population of 3,400 to the school district in Colorado Springs with a student population of 32,500 will be a challenge, but she is ready.
The Colorado Springs district also has 3,500 employees, including 1,900 teachers and three deputy superintendents who work with a $330 million budget. It is one of the largest school districts in southern Colorado and the seventh largest school district in the state.
Thomas said the No. 1 thing she will miss in Little Falls is the daily contact with students. Her Little Falls administrative office is in the high school, and in Colorado Springs her office will not be in a school building.
"I can't say enough about the students in Little Falls," said Thomas. "They are polite, they work well with the adults and they have high aspirations."
Little Falls School Board Chair Susan Prosapio said, "I'm sad to see Sharon go. Her energetic leadership and outgoing personality restored hope and direction to our district when we needed it so desperately. Her attention to detail and strong organizational skills provided necessary structure to our administration and have helped us to strengthen our financial condition under difficult economic times. We've been fortunate to have her for the past three years and we will miss her."
The Little Falls School Board meets Monday.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER can be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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