The newly hired Bettendorf superintendent continues to operate his side consulting business, while the district refuses to say if school board president Paul Castro has authorized the activity.
John Elkin was hired as interim superintendent by the Bettendorf school board last month at a salary of more than $218,000, after the board paid the outgoing superintendent $720,000 to resign.
Even as deputy to the director of the Iowa State School Board, Elkin operated his consulting firm, Premier ED Leader Resources LLC , which provides internal investigative training to school districts in Iowa and other neighboring states. The firm charges school districts $300 per person to attend its training seminars.
Above, a screenshot of the PremierEdLeadership.com owned and operated by Bettendorf's new interim superintendent.
To continue to offer his consulting services, his contract with the Bettendorf school district specifically requires the approval of the board president.
"With prior approval of the Board President, the Superintendent may engage in professional speaking, writing, consulting, teaching, graduate-level coursework, or other professional activities that do not materially interfere with the Superintendent's duties or create a conflict of interest. The Superintendent shall use accrued vacation leave for any such activities occurring during scheduled work hours unless otherwise approved by the Board President."
District Communications Director Celeste Miller refused to provide a "yes" or "no" answer when asked if Castro had green-lighted Elkin's consulting work.
Instead, Miller sent bettendorf.com the district's written policy concerning professional consulting, adding that the district would follow its guidelines.
The district also ignored questions on whether the superintendent's consulting business would constitute a conflict of interest under district policies.
