GIBBON — The Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop (GFW) School Board unanimously approved an 11-month superintendent contract for Kelly Smith Monday.

Action came on a motion by board member Ken Briese, seconded by Mark Turtle to approve an 11-month, $132,916 contract for Smith that begins Aug. 1.

The school board interviewed three superintendent candidates chosen by the South Central Services Cooperative (SCSC) July 18 for the position that opened after GFW Supt. Jeff Horton accepted the superintendent position at SouthWest Metro Intermediate School District July 1.

SouthWest Metro provides specialized vocational educational services to secondary, post-secondary and adult students in 11 member school districts and eight associate member districts in the metro and southern Minnesota.

Smith, formerly employed at Winthrop Public School and GFW as a math teacher, athletic director and business manager, was chosen by the board over former Waconia superintendent Pat Devine and former Red Wing superintendent Frank Norton.

Jeff Bertrang of SCSC, a former GFW and New Ulm Public School superintendent, said the superintendent search process usually takes six to eight weeks but it was done in three weeks at GFW this summer.

“I think we did justice to the district. I think you have a good candidate in Dr. Smith coming in. I think it’ll be great for you,” Bertrang said.

He said Smith’s contract is pro-rated for 11 months from a $145,000 annual contract. Bertrang said if superintendent Horton continued at GFW, his contract would have been $143,000.

He said Horton’s full annual health insurance cost the district $36,000 but for Smith, who is at Medicare age and can’t have another health insurance program, will get a $10,000 403b retirement plan instead of health insurance plus a $60/month cell phone use allocation.

Bertrang said another interesting aspect of Smith’s contract is that when you are fully vested as a TRA (Teachers Retirement Association) retiree, there is no district cost for it.

“Overall, Smith’s contract is potentially saving the district about $58,000,” added Bertrang.

Horton thanked the board for its support and congratulated them for selecting Smith. He thanks the SCSC for its superintendent search work.

“I truly appreciate everybody’s support for what we’ve done here the last four years. I’m a lifelong fan of GFW,” Horton said.