Schools

Rockwood Superintendent Bruce Borchers Meets Oak Ridge, TN, Residents

As the top candidate among three prospective finalists to become the new superintendent for Oak Ridge School District, Rockwood School District's Bruce Borchers participated in a formal meet-and-greet event Monday morning.

Rockwood School District Superintendent Bruce Borchers just met some of the good people of the Oak Ridge School District in Tennessee, at mid-day Monday during an official community event. Per the news that Patch broke in the St. Louis area, Borchers may take a pay cut and move to a smaller district.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education directors are slated to vote on Borchers regarding the new job yet tonight.

Borchers and his family reportedly were touring the town as well today, which has an estimated population of 27,000.

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Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Bob Fowler reported to Patch that 30 to 40 residents attended Borchers' introductory event. Fowler said Oak Ridge Board Chairman Keys Fillauer told him Borchers "was interested in being in a smaller district, in which he could be more hands-on." He also shared he would be eager to have more time to spend with his own children.

Fowler reports that Borchers said he would be willing to accept a contract with Oak Ridge, should one be extended.

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Fowler said Oak Ridge school officials would want Borchers to report to duty on June 15, which is when the contract with interim superintendent Bob Smallridge expires. The Oak Ridge superintendent spot was vacated when Tom Bailey retired Dec. 31.

On Feb. 24, Rockwood school board directors voted 4-3 to extend Borchers’ contract another year through June 30, 2016. His salary is $234,600. His salary in Oak Ridge, a district near Knoxville of about 4,500 students, likely will be in the $175,000 range, according to an article by Knoxville News Sentinel last week. 

Borchers has been the superintendent of Rockwood School District schools since 2010. Before spearheading Missouri's third largest school district based in Eureka, he served as associate superintendent of secondary schools in Anoka-Hennepin Schools, Coon Rapids, MN, from 2008 to 2010.

Borchers is 42 years old, and will turn 43 in July, according to a Rockwood spokesperson. When he was hired to Rockwood in February 2010, he was 39 years old. He and his family reside in Wildwood.

Oak Ridge board members recently interviewed three candidates for the job. Dale Lynch, superintendent of the 10,300-student Hamblen County School District in Morristown, TN, and Bryan Keith Rowland, superintendent of the 6,250-student Shenandoah County Public Schools in Woodstock, VA, were the other two candidates.

The three administrators were chosen from a group of seven candidates who had been narrowed from a reported field of 78 applications submitted to Ray and Associates Inc., the Cedar Rapids, IA-based professional search firm contracted by the school district.

This is a developing story; return to Patch for more updates.

PREVIOUS PATCH ARTICLES REGARDING BORCHERS' TENURE AT ROCKWOOD:

Nov. 3, 2010:  Public Input Wanted Regarding Rockwood School District's Budget Cuts

Nov. 15, 2010:  Rockwood School District Superintendent Encourages Public Involvement in Budget Process

Dec. 6, 2010:  Is Public Money Really About Your Decisions?

Dec. 18, 2010:  More Than $5 Million Cut from Rockwood School District Budget for 2011-2012 Fiscal Year'

Dec. 22, 2010: 

Jan. 7, 2011:  Gov. Jay Nixon: Rewarding Excellence at Lafayette

Feb. 18, 2011:  Rockwood Schools Face Huge Deficit by 2013

March 11, 2011:  Taking Care of Business was Focus of Rockwood School Board Meeting

March 26, 2011:  Rockwood Superintendent Named Alumni Educator of the Year

April 18, 2011:  Opinions Regarding Fresh Round of Rockwood Proposed Budget Cuts Can Be Voiced Before Tuesday's Meeting

May 20, 2011:  Rockwood Voters Will See Tax Increase Proposal

June 22, 2011:  Rockwood Superintendent Draws Questions Over New Hires

June 23, 2011:  Rockwood Superintendent Issues Apology Letter

June 24, 2011:  Rockwood Consultants' Contracts Secured

July 11, 2011:  Concerned Patrons Of Rockwood Meet

July 13, 2011:  CPR: More from Town Hall Meeting

July 14, 2011:  Rockwood Retreat: Will Tonight Go Better?

July 20, 2011:  Residents Pose Hard Questions at Rockwood Board Meeting

July 21, 2011:  Rockwood: Meeting After 'The Meeting'

July 25, 2011:  Letter: Rockwood Taxpayer Poses Questions

Aug. 19, 2011:  Rockwood Superintendent Looks Forward

Nov. 29, 2011:  Applicants Interview for Rockwood Board of Education Spot

Feb. 24, 2012:  Contract of Rockwood Superintendent Extended

April 3, 2012:  Rockwood Voters Reject School Bond Measure

May 4, 2012:  Something 'Went Very Right' at Rockwood

May 18, 2012: 

May 27, 2012:  Rockwood Administrator Announced in Minnesota

June 2, 2012: 

June 25, 2012:  Rockwood School District Approves $208 Million Budget

July 2, 2012: 

Aug. 16, 2012:  Full Missouri Accreditation Secured by Rockwood School District

Sept. 12, 2012:  Rockwood's Top Administrators Earn Less Than Parkway's Leaders

Oct. 8, 2012:  Rockwood Enrollment Slips Slightly

Oct. 9, 2012: 

Oct. 17, 2012:  Get Ready Tonight for Rockwood 'Emergency Test'

Nov. 29, 2012: 

Dec. 14, 2012:  Rockwood Issues Letter to Parents on School Shooting

Dec. 14, 2012:  Rockwood School District: 'Picture' Less Financial Backing

Dec. 16, 2012:  Rockwood Superintendent Issues Reassurances About Returning to School

Jan. 11, 2013: 

Jan. 17, 2013:  New School Accreditation Program Pressures Districts such as Rockwood

Jan. 18, 2013:  Rockwood $38.4M No-Tax Increase Bond Approved for April Ballot

Jan. 25, 2013:  Rockwood Security: Is It Enough?

Jan. 27, 2013:  Rockwood Hopes to Add $5M in New Security Features

Feb. 8, 2013: 

Feb. 26, 2013:  Rockwood's Superintendent Contract Extended Just as State Audit Results Are Expected

Feb. 27, 2013:  Rockwood State Audit: Overall Performance is Rated "Fair"

March 1, 2013:  CliffsNotes for Rockwood's Response to Missouri Audit Allegations

March 4, 2013:  Resignation Comes from Rockwood Board of Education Director Steve Smith

March 13, 2013:  Will Rockwood Take Prop S Off April Ballot?

March 14, 2013:  More Rockwood Resignations Called for by Citizens’ Group

March 11, 2013:  Rockwood Superintendent's Wife Hopes to Start Community Healing

March 28, 2013: 


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