More on John Allison in Kansas

The Wichita Eagle ran a follow-up feature on Wichita's incoming schools superintendent John Allison yesterday. Excerpts of interest to Mt. Lebanon residents include these:

In the Mount Lebanon, Pa., district, Allison has helped the budget process run smoother by educating residents and getting them involved in the process, said Janice Klein, the district's director of finance.

"People don't understand what we do," she said. "He worked to make sure he explained it and worked with the finance committee.

"It was a good process. This year is much easier." ...

His collaborative style has allowed him to have an impact on the Mount Lebanon school district in a short time, said Assistant Superintendent Deborah Allen.

Progress on a renovation plan of more than $100 million for Mount Lebanon high school is largely due to Allison, Allen said.

"The board came together in consensus for an alternative," she said. "A lot of that had to do with John's skills and abilities to work with the community and the board."

Personally, I'm a little disappointed that the writer didn't use more of the material that she gathered from Mt. Lebanon residents other than School District staff. I spoke to her for more than 30 minutes. My take: John Allison is a professional guy, and after a rough patch with the district's last hire and with the start of a controversial capital improvement project, Mt. Lebanon had high hopes that he would stay for a long time. But in a year and a half, a Mt. Lebanon outsider is going to have a difficult time doing more than unpacking his boxes and starting to learn where the bodies are buried, so to speak.

Link: www.kansas.com/news/education/story/725616.html