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Keokuk Superintendent Takes Medical Leave

The Keokuk School District is expected to be without its top administrator for at least the next four weeks as Superintendent Tim Hood will be goes on medical leave. No further details regarding the incident were provided as the district due to employee privacy.

School Board President Janne Long said, during Monday's school board meeting, that the district learned of Hood's medical leave on Friday. The board discussed how to temporarily replace Hood during an emergency discussion that night.

Long said she and other board members sought advice from the state and other local school districts because Keokuk does not have a chain-of-command policy if the superintendent is unavailable. The district no longer employs an assistant school superintendent.

The board eventually decided that Jeri Moritz, Keokuk's Director of Instructional Services, and Business Manager Heidi Harness would handle day-to-day duties until Hood returns. The entire administrative team plans to continue meeting weekly, as well, despite Hood's absence.

The school board said it would develop a chain-of-command policy that spells out how administrative positions are temporarily filled, so as to not burden other employees. There was also talk of setting guidelines for hiring an interim superintendent.

Jason Parrott is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.