Nixa offers superintendent extension, pay raise

The Nixa Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to extend the contract of its superintendent through the 2015-16 school year.

Stephen Kleinsmith, who has been superintendent of the school district since 2000, was approved for the extension during a Jan. 4 closed board meeting, said district spokesman Zac Rantz. The school announced the decision Jan. 10.

Kleinsmith also was offered a 4 percent raise, an offer he accepted and will bring his salary up to $162,652 starting in the 2013-14 academic year, Rantz said. Kleinsmith had declined to take raises for at least two years up until the current academic year, when he was given a raise along with all other staff members, Rantz said.

The vote followed an annual evaluation of Kleinsmith, which focused on educational leadership, business and finance management, strategic planning, accountability to the school board and the school district, and community relationships, according to a news release.

"The results of his work speak for themselves," said Glen Scott, secretary of the board of education, in the release. "We have received local, state and national awards and consistently have high academic success both locally and statewide."

Kleinsmith has led the district to being accredited with distinction by the Missouri Department of Education for 11 consecutive years. The district also claims an attendance rate of 96 percent and a dropout rate of 1.3 percent, the release said.

Kleinsmith was honored by Springfield Business Journal in 2011 for its inaugural Men of the Year awards.[[In-content Ad]]