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MNW superintendent to retire this summer

Says he thrived on conflict, and hopes he’ll be remembered as ‘progressive’

MANSON — Mark Egli believes he thrived on conflict as superintendent for the Manson Northwest Webster Community School District.

So now that things have settled down in recent years, Egli is ready to move on, he said.

“I just think that my enthusiasm and my focus on the job just wasn’t what it should be anymore,” Egli said. “I went through some high energy times, and for some reason being a superintendent during those times was more exciting than when everything is status quo and going well.”

“I kind of got used to that conflict,” Egli added. “As we settled some big issues in the district, we had a lot people for and a lot of people against, so being in the middle of that was challenging. I kind of thrived on that, actually.”

The Manson Northwest Webster Community School board approved Egli’s resignation at a meeting March 2.

Egli, 68, will retire at the end of the school year. The resignation becomes effective June 30.

Egli first served as high school principal at MNW in 1999 before becoming superintendent the following year.

“The early years of my superintendency were full of community involvement, often times conflict, as we merged elementary schools, created a middle school, moved the elementary to Barnum, then restructured a 7-12 concept in Manson,” Egli said. “Even though contentious, those years required energy and, at times adrenaline. The situation certainly kept my attention and required that I perform my job at a high level.”

Since 1999, enrollment has dropped from 889 to 650, where it has leveled off, Egli said.

As a result, cuts had to be made.

The number of full-time teachers in the district has fallen from 73 to 53, according to Egli.

“All through this time we have been using retirements and early retirements and just kind of letting things take their course and not replacing teachers as they resign,” Egli said. “We had to go through a real reduction in staff all those years.”

He said the job caused him to lose some friends, at least for a time.

“It takes a lot of community meeting and convincing the community that this is all necessary and that you don’t have some other agenda,” Egli said. “The public always tries to read more into it than is really there when a superintendent and board are making unpleasant decisions. The public gets really upset and you create enemies for a couple of years, but once they realize the overall plan and that it did put the district on the right course, then you can be friends again. But for a while there’s a lot of conflict going on. But like I said, in a lot of ways, I enjoyed it.”

Under Egli’s leadership, MNW was among the first schools in the area to go one-to-one.

The district also supplies SMART boards to each of its elementary classrooms and Google Chromebooks for grades 7-12.

Grades 2-6 also have at least one device per student.

“We have a lot of technology,” Egli said. “The board has been very supportive. We are technology rich for a small district.”

According to Egli, the district is in a good place.

“I believe we have created a fantastic district here at MNW,” Egli said. “One that is financially sound, academically excellent and also good for kids,” Egli said.

Egli also assisted the Prairie Valley district for two years while it transitioned toward sharing with Southeast Webster.

He began his career in education, teaching for Palmer Community School in 1986.

Egli said his early years were some of his most enjoyable.

“The informal family-like atmosphere was something that can no longer be replicated in today’s educational environment,” Egli said.

He said he hopes he will be remembered as an administrator who was progressive.

“Creating a school that has excellence in education, is financially stable and is progressive and always moving forward, trying to be on the edge,” Egli said. “Whether that’s technology or teaching methods, I think that’s what I have left behind and I think that’s what will continue on.”

Egli’s wife, Janet Olson-Egli, teaches at MNW.

Egli said he has no immediate plans after retirement, but wouldn’t rule out a return to another district.

“I may get involved with schools who need a part-time superintendent,” he said. “That’s typically a couple days a week in a situation like that, so if the right situation arose, I would find that interesting to go into another district.”

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