Dr. Thomas E. Muzzey has been hired as the next superintendent of the Warren County R-III School District. Muzzey, 41, is currently an associate superintendent in the Hillsboro R-III School District in Jefferson County. A contract offer was extended to Muzzey last Tuesday and the hiring was made official Monday evening. Muzzey was in town to sign the contract and met with other R-III administrators during a gathering at Brewskies in Warrenton. His official first day in the district will be July 1, 2011. Muzzey’s entire 20-year educational career has been in the Hillsboro School District. Following a six-year stint as a middle school teacher, he spent six years as an administrator at Hillsboro Junior High. In 2004, Muzzey was promoted to assistant superintendent and then later was named the district’s associate superintendent. Muzzey will replace Dr. John Long, who announced his resignation in September, five months after the school board voted to not extend his contract in exchange for freezing his salary. Long has been with the district since 2004. Muzzey said he’s looking forward to his new role. One of his top goals will be focusing on student achievemnt. “One of the big things I like about this community, it has that rural flavor,” he said. “I’m not a city guy. If you draw a circle around the St. Louis area, there are only so many schools that have what Warrenton has to offer —good facilities, excellent educational programs, great staff, good tax base. It’s a very stable community.” Muzzey received a two-year contract and will be paid $145,000 annually. As part of his contract, Muzzey will receive a monthly car allowance, totaling $400 during the 2011-12 school year and increasing to $450 in the 2012-13 school year, and 20 vacation days, 10 days of sick leave and three personal leave days annually. The district also will pay for Muzzey to join one or more civic organizations. The district will save “slightly more than $35,000” annually in Muzzey's contract compared to the Long's, according to school board member Scott Costello. Long is currently being paid $157,00 annually, a $6,000 increase from the prior school year. In addition to the $12,000 annual savings in salary, Costello said the district has been able to cut expenses by approximately $19,000 with removing a retirement annuity and paid dependent healthcare. Long’s monthly car allowance also was higher at $500 and he was reimbursed for mileage. The contract changes were done, Costello said, to make the benefits similar to other district employees. “We need to have consistent treatment whether you are superintendent or a classroom teacher,” he said. Muzzey beat out a field of around 24 applicants and four other finalists, according to School Board President Teresa Scott. The school board was assisted by the Missouri School Board Association in its search. “He has a lot of diverse experience,” Scott said. “He’s handled a lot of things there. They allowed him to learn and deal with a lot of situations.” Board member Dale Schowe also liked how Muzzey seems to be a “people-oriented person” and had only been employed in one district. “He’s a good fit for what we’re trying to do and he has the credentials to get us to the next step,” Schowe said. Costello added, “I believe the community will receive him well. He’s very approachable. He’s interested in being engaged in the community, not just education, but Warrenton in general.” Muzzey, who grew up in De Soto, received his undergraduate degree from Southeast Missouri State University in 1991 and earned a master’s degree in teaching from Webster University in 1994. In 1998, he completed his master’s degree in educational administration and in 2006 he earned his educational specialist degree in educational leadership from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He received his doctorate degree this month from Maryville University. Muzzey’s wife, Kelly, is currently an administrator in the Northwest R-III School District. The couple have three children, Mikayla and Logan, both students at Northwest Missouri state University, and Morgan, a seventh-grader.