Maize school district technology director recommended for termination

The technology director for Maize public schools has been recommended for termination, according to an item on the agenda for the Maize school board Monday.

Ramon Mosate, who began working for the Maize district in August 1997, has been on administrative leave since Nov. 18, according to Maize Superintendent Doug Powers.

That’s the day officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at Maize district headquarters. Powers on Friday would neither confirm nor deny that Mosate’s leave was related to the FBI investigation.

Following that search, two district employees were placed on administrative leave and officials reset passwords for family accounts in its Skyward student information system. In an e-mail to families in November, the district said the resets were “due to increased digital network security measures,” but that “no personal data has been compromised.”

No arrests have been made relating to the investigation, said Jim Cross, spokesman for U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.

In a telephone interview Friday, Powers said Clark Fichtl, who has been serving as interim director of technology since November, has been named as Mosate’s replacement.

Mosate’s salary was about $101,000 a year, according to information provided to The Eagle as part of an open records request in November. His employment package also included $2,400 a year in medical benefits and an $840 annual phone allowance.

As director of technology Mosate supervised staff, oversaw the district’s technology infrastructure, communicated with vendors and worked with district administrators to prepare and implement the technology budget.

Mosate’s termination is part of the school board’s consent agenda, a list of routine expenditures and staff recommendations that usually are handled through a single vote.

Powers said Fichtl’s proposed salary as technology director will be $80,000 a year. Fichtl has worked for the Maize district since August 2012, Powers said.

This story was originally published February 6, 2015 at 1:47 PM.