AUBURN, Neb. (KMTV) — In a meeting at the Auburn School's Central Offices, Kevin Reiman got straight to the point.
"After talking with my family, I've decided it's in the best interest of my family and the school district to resign as superintendent," Reiman said Monday night.
Reiman's resignation comes after spending twenty years in the school district--starting as a counselor and working his way up to superintendent since 2010.
In the video that cost Reiman his job, he's heard making light of a fight between two students at one of his schools. Reiman says he was quickly trying to do the right thing by watching from home.
"I should have taken the time and came [to the district offices], but at the time I wanted to know if there was a third student involved and get that information to the principal," Reiman said.
Reiman came to his decision in a closed meeting with board members that included Dr. Mike Zaruba--who's heard from over 700 people about this incident. Dr. Zaruba says moving on is best for the district.
"The division was significant," Dr. Zaruba said. "Let's face it--all small schools, our district--we face many challenges going forward."
The biggest challenge is funding. State Aid has been cut over the years, requiring more from district tax payers. The board says it would consider Reiman's input in finding the new superintendent.
"We've had an excellent run," Reiman said. "I want people to know I cared about their kids and education. That's why I made the decision to resign at this time."
The following is a statement from Dr. Mike Zaruba regarding Reiman's resignation:
"I would like to thank Mr. Reiman for his 20 years of service to District 29. There is no doubt that we have seen many educational successes and District 29 has received numerous awards and accolades during his tenure. That being said; District 29 is more than just one person. District 29 is a team made up of hard-working students eager to learn, a caring support staff, excellent professional teachers, and a forward-looking administrative team. The successes of District 29 are a result of this teamwork, support through collaboration with businesses, support from all the communities in the District, and the financial support of our taxpayers. Our school district will continue to face many challenges going forward, especially with funding. State aid has been cut tremendously in past years and more is being asked of our taxpayers each year, especially of the farmers/landowners in the District. Therefore, it is imperative that we come together as District and be willing to work together for the good of our children. If we remain divided over this most unfortunate incident, we will have difficulty moving the District forward, but if we come together I know we can continue to provide an excellent education that our children deserve. As a member of the Board of Education I am committed to unifying District 29 and to the work of finding our next Superintendent who will lead District 29 in the future to more education successes."
