Kingman – Kingman Unified School District board members have approved KUSD Superintendent Gretchen Dorner as a contract employee through Education Services for the 2023-24 school year.

After a long career with KUSD, Mr. Dorner graduated from Kingman High School and was elected superintendent in 2018. According to staff, Mr. Dorner will be retiring from the Arizona Retirement System, but he has requested that he continue working as KUSD’s overseer. Dorner was on a three-year contract with his final year in 2023-24. However, her approval got her out of her contract a year early.

It’s basically a process of retirement and rehiring. Once an employee reaches her ASRS retirement criteria, she can start receiving her full retirement benefits. He is then hired at 80% of his original salary through a third-party system, Educational Services Inc., allowing him to continue working while earning retirement benefits.

Donner wasn’t the only KUSD contractor at the May 9 meeting.

“It seems like it will help both KUSD and our employees,” said Roger Jacks, Chairman of the KUSD Board of Directors.