Jason Cline, the second superintendent candidate to visit Eudora, was attracted to the district because of the relationship between the School Board and community, he said in an interview with The Times Thursday. 

Cline currently serves as the superintendent of South Brown County Schools in Horton. The district has about 500 students. 

The Eudora Times created a list of questions to ask each superintendent candidate as they came into town. Interviews were edited for brevity and clarity. 

Why are you interested in being superintendent in Eudora? 

I think the community — well, no, I don’t think — I know that community and the school district, they work so well together. That’s pretty impressive. And you can get that and those relationships that are built, that’s pretty amazing to see and the aftermath of what can happen with kids. 

So I think that’s one of the reasons. And I just, this is kind of the next step for me. I think I can do a lot of good in helping with what’s going on here and keep it going. 

What do you see as strengths of the Eudora School District?

Well, I’ll go back to the community and also the School Board. Those relationships that are built, it’s gonna be so important for the next person to continue those and to keep them going. It’s going to be important for the next superintendent to be out and about, talking to people and being active within the community, especially as the community grows. 

What do you see as potential areas that could use improvement? 

You know, this is my first day here, so I really don’t know much on the improvement side. I’m sure there’s some things there, but I know the buildings, I think, are old, 20 years old, they were telling me … but for the most part, you know, this is my first day here so I don’t know much. 

Why do you think that you’re the best person for this job? 

I think when I looked at the survey that the community did for the new superintendent, I looked at some of those things that the community listed and what they want the new superintendent to have. And I think I match up well with a lot of those. The whole communication piece, the trust, being transparent, building relationships — all those things I think are things that I pride myself in when I serve others.

What are some specific examples of successful initiatives you’ve done in your current district? 

You know, we’ve done a lot in the last four years in South Brown County. I’m really pleased with the way that our staff and our community and parents and students [have] handled the past year. It’s been real impressive. They’ve all been understanding, flexible and able to make changes quickly. 

So I think those are- that’s something current that I’m pretty proud of. Some other things that we’ve done, we’ve upgraded our tech, we’ve updated our reading curriculum, our math curriculum. A couple years ago, we initiated the MTSS system [multi-tiered system of supports] — which they have here — and really focusing in on those tier two and tier three kids. So, we’re more of a data-driven school than what we were in the past. 

I don’t think I’m as familiar with the MTSS system? What is that? 

It’s a multi-tiered system of support, and basically it’s just breaking down students to their ability level and teaching them what they need — that tier one, tier two, tier three. 

And then, what do you think are the biggest challenges facing K-12 education right now?

Well, I think, coming out of the COVID-related stuff is going to be so important as we move forward, trying to get back to creating that new normal — whatever that’s going to look like. Also, I think it’s gonna be very important to focus in on the social, emotional piece of that. It’s going to be so important for our kids, for our staff, for parents. And so I believe schools need to take a role in doing stuff like that. 

What is your leadership approach with teachers and staff? 

I think we’re all on the same team. I think it’s important that we’re able to build those relationships so we can be open and honest with each other and be able to communicate with each other. That’s important. 

Coming off the pandemic, how would you specifically support teachers and staff moving forward from this difficult year? 

Well, you [have] got to listen to what their needs are, and I don’t know at this time what Eudora’s staff needs are. I haven’t had time to talk with them. But I think that’s important, is to be able to listen to them and try to help them with their needs that they’re going to need for next year. So spending that time on that relationship with them and talking to them. 

Focus groups for this position said that one of their top priorities they want the new superintendent to tackle is creating more competitive salary and benefits packages to attract and retain staff members. And so how do you think you would kind of tackle that challenge potentially? 

Like I said, this is my first day here so I really haven’t gotten to the finances a whole lot, but I do believe that in any school district you need to take a look at what’s going out and what’s coming in and figure out the best way to tackle that, so that you are competitive. I think that’s important to be competitive.

Improving diversity and equity was also another priority from the focus group and survey input. What would be your strategies for this area?

I guess I probably need to learn more about just the students here and the culture here — what that consists of — and then develop a plan with our staff and teachers and parents to move forward with that to make sure that everything is going well. 

Focusing specifically on students, how would you work to improve the education experience for students? 

Again, I think we need to sit down and look at what you guys are doing now and what we can do to help with that experience to make it the best possible for our kids. So like I said, it’s my first day here. I don’t know all the ins and outs yet. But if I am chosen as the candidate, I’ll be spending a lot of time here, asking some questions and looking around, seeing what’s going on and seeing how I can help. 

What do you think the relationship should look like between the School Board and the superintendent? 

So, that trust piece is so important, and you build those positive relationships with each other. And knowing right away that there’s gonna be some things that you disagree with that I do and there’s gonna be some things that I disagree with that you do, and you should come together sitting as adults, then talk about those things, and answer the why piece of that and be able to move forward. And in the end we’re all here to do the right thing, which is what’s best for our kids and to follow our long-range plans that we have. 

How do you see this role interacting with the parents in the community?

I think the same thing. You’ve got to give people a period to talk — me wanting to come in and visit with you, take time to listen to them, maybe even go out to them and visit with them, and so forth. So just that relationship piece is so important to build that, so you can build upon that trust that each other has. 

How do you plan to be involved in the community?

So if I’m selected, my wife and two kids, we would come and we’d be involved in activities, church, games, you know, anything that’s going on. We want to be part of and to be out and about talking to people, you know, knowing those relationships that are so important for our success. 

See The Eudora Times’ other story about the second candidate here.

Reach reporter Nicole Asbury at [email protected].

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