Marty Fonley

ALGONA — The Algona Community School District is hoping to have an interim superintendent in place by the start of the school year after the apparently unexpected resignation of longtime Superintendent Marty Fonley.

The ACSD board accepted Fonley’s resignation on July 6. He had served as superintendent for 11 years.

“We are working with our administrators to make sure our school year gets kicked off on the right foot,” Rodney Davis, vice president of the ACSD board, said on Tuesday.

Davis said he had no comment on the circumstances regarding Fonley’s resignation as that was discussed during a closed session.

A call placed to Fonley on Monday went unanswered.

Davis said the district is working with the Iowa Association of School Boards to accept applications for the position of interim superintendent for the 2018-19 school year.

“We hope to do some screening of available candidates next week as a board,” he said. “Hopefully, right about the start of the school year or shortly after we can have an interim in place for upcoming school year.”

Davis said the interim superintendent would be a part-time position.

Fonley will still be paid for the 2018-19 school year, according to the separation agreement.

His 12-month salary and insurance will be on the books until June 30, 2019, unless he is hired as a superintendent elsewhere.

Davis said the district would look for a permanent replacement beginning sometime in January.

“We are going through, I think, a standard process that most school districts would in this situation,” he said.