Triple superintendent Wargo gets top grade after semester of split

Gazette Reporters

After a semester of burning up the Lancaster and Winona roads, Gary Wargo seems to be receiving top grades from the three school districts for which he is serving as superintendent.

“Everything seems to be working as good or better as before,” said Jim Rogers, St. John school board member.

Wargo in September took over superintendent duties for the St. John and Endicott cooperative in addition to his post at LaCrosse.

“It took a little while to get into the groove, but I think I’m getting a hold of it now,” said Wargo. “It’s a little more work, a little more travel. But I think, the bottom line is its saving some administrative money for all three districts.”

The three school districts face similar challenges in funding, policies and regulations. Those commonalities are what drew him to small school administration in the first place, Wargo said.

“I enjoy the small schools. And I think it takes somebody that loves small schools,” he said. “The teachers, the community support are all great, and they all have some darn good kids.”

With e-mail, cell phones and text messages, Wargo said he is never too far away from any school when needed.

He also said the combo provided unique opportunities.

In September, Wargo prepared applications for state urgent repair grants for the roofs at both Endicott and LaCrosse schools. Both received repair funding.

St. John had received a grant from the state a year earlier and was ineligible for this year’s round of funding.

The three schools are also considering joint baseball and softball teams this spring. St. John/Endicott is short of girls for softball and LaCrosse is short on boys for baseball.

At St. John, Rogers said the super split is working well because of Wargo’s experience.

Mike Dunn, superintendent of Educational Service District 101, the area arm of the state’s education department, echoed Rogers.

“If he’s still upright, he must be doing okay,” he said.

Dunn said he had concerns when he first heard of the three-way share.

“If the three districts had come together and decided to hire one superintendent brand new, we would have said no way,” said Dunn. “With the amount of experience and knowledge that Gary has, though, it seems to be working.”

Kara Harder, vice-chair of the LaCrosse School Board, said the immediate benefits are obvious.

“Well, it doesn’t take a lot of time to see it has lowered our costs,” said Harder.

It’s the long-term effects of sharing an administrator that Harder said cannot yet be graded.

“When everything is going well in all three schools, it works great. It’s when you have to weather a storm that we’ll find out how we’re going to deal with a third of a superintendent,” Harder added.

That storm may come soon, as the legislature convenes next week to balance a $2 billion shortfall in the state budget.

“We don’t know how badly we’re going to get squeezed when the legislature gets underway,” said Rogers.

Dunn said Wargo’s service is garnering statewide attention.

“We’ve never seen a superintendent serve three schools before,” he said. “With the state looking to save funding, this could be a unique model. But again, it would have to be someone with Gary’s level of knowledge.”

Harder said the three-way split devised at a local level is a proactive way to deal with dwindling funds before the state removes more funding from K-12 education.

“It’s better we do it at the local level than being forced to do it by the governor or the legislature,” she said.

Legislators, though, may be down the list on Wargo’s list of concerns.

This Friday, the LW Tigercats play basketball at St. John/Endicott. His son, Justin, is on the LW squad. Wargo plans a heaping dose of diplomacy in rooting from a center court seat in the legendary St. John gym.

“Maybe I’ll wear a blue shirt with a red vest,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll take a lot of heat from both sides.”