Brian Cordel said he would be up to speed quickly as USD 257 superintendent of schools.
Cordel, 52, is assistant superintendent of Nickerson USD 309, a district similar in size and with many of the same concerns as Iola. Board members interviewed Cordel, the last of four candidates, Thursday evening.
“We’re looking at similar strategies to deal with cuts in state aid,” he said of the Nickerson district, which has about 1,200 students. USD 257’s enrollment is 1,330. Both have 4A high schools.
USD 257 faces more than $400,000 in state aid cuts the remainder of this school year and next; Nickerson about $300,000. Cordel mentioned attrition as a means of reducing staff to save money and relying some on contingency reserve funds.
While he doesn’t deal daily with Nickerson’s overall budget, as he would as superintendent here, Cordel said he did have oversight of funds for at-risk students, title programs and professional development. And he huddles frequently with his superintendent on budgetary matters. He also is the district’s hearing officer.
Cordel thinks a move to USD 257 would be a good one for him professionally and noted that he was impressed with staff he met, as well as the physical condition of district buildings.
“It’s a progressive district with staff that obviously cares about students,” Cordel said. “They’re very good people, strong in personal attitudes and loyal to the district, their classrooms and the students.
“The district has areas that needed to be addressed, as all districts do,” he said, and feels he would offer a wide range of expertise, from his experiences in the classroom, counselor’s office and from having been an administrator at several levels.
CORDEL WAS born and raised in Tipton, about 40 miles north of Russell, and graduated from high school there in 1976. He earned a bachelor’s degree from McPherson College, where he also played basketball and ran track.
After college he taught math and physical education in McPherson, three years at the junior high and three at the high school. He also coached football, basketball and track.
After earning a master’s degree in counseling at Wichita State University, Cordel was K-12 counselor at Whitewater. With an interest in administration, he moved to Nickerson in 1990 as assistant high principal, before spending the next 14 years directing Trinity High School in Hutchinson from the principal’s office.
He returned to Nickerson as assistant superintendent two years ago.
Nickerson, a town of about 1,200, is 10 miles northwest of Hutchinson and its school district includes students who live within Hutchinson.
His wife, Shawn, is an art teacher at Trinity High. They have four children, Tyler and Taia, who are students at the University of Kansas, and Bryce, 16, and Cameron, 10.
