COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — The Council Bluffs School District has a new superintendent: Kansas City native, Chace Ramey, is currently serving as interim superintendent because the district has said it needed more time to complete a thorough search before offering the position permanently.
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"Council Bluffs is a great school district," said Ramey. "It has a rich history in the state of Iowa and it's doing tremendous things for students. The diploma-plus-one program is something unlike anywhere else in the state."
Several years ago, while working as a lawyer in the Kansas City area, Ramey served on his local school board.
"I found myself more interested in what our schools were doing than what my day job was," he said.
Most recently, he served as a deputy superintendent in Iowa City. While he was not in charge of district finances, he was there when questions about the district's financial management arose. KMTV asked him when he first knew there were problems.
"The superintendent and I really found out the same time the board did in January — that there was a significant concern," Ramey said.
He says Iowa schools, including Council Bluffs, face several challenges including a decline in enrollment and not enough funding from the state.
"It doesn't, in general, keep up with expenses and so you put districts in this position where we're always in the cutting mode," he said.
The new superintendent says he is still learning about Council Bluffs.
“I love it. I feel like it matches my personality and who I am,” Ramey said. "The people have been so welcoming and it's clear how much they care about our schools and about Council Bluffs and that, as a leader, makes me want to be part of that."
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