Michael asks, "Just how common is it for school districts to share superintendents?"

With last week's announcement that Postville and North Winneshiek will be sharing the services of School Superintendent Tim Dugger starting this fall, Michael's e-mail was timely: "I was wondering--just how comes is it for school districts in Iowa to share superintendents?"

Mr. Answer Person says: "For the 2014-2015 school year--the last year for which I can find statistics, that number statewide appears to be 45 school superintendents serving at least two school districts.

There are four such sharing agreements in Northeast Iowa (in the area served by Keystone AEA, which extends down to Dubuque)--Eastern Allamakee and MFL MarMac; South Winneshiek and Turkey Valley (although that has changed), West Central and Sumner-Fredericksburg (which itself is a merged district) and North Fayette and Valley of Elgin.

But you probably should add to that list Riceville and Starmont, which have part-time superintendents and North Winneshiek, Central of Elkader, Clayton Ridge and Edgewood-Colesburg, which all have had someone serving as superintendent and principal.

Maybe the best way to put it is that only New Hampton, Howard-Winneshiek, Decorah, Allamakee, Postville, Oelwein, West Delaware, Western Dubuque and Dubuque currently have full-time superintendents in Keystone AEA--and Postville will be removed from that list in September.

In other words, Keystone AEA covers 23 public school districts in Northeast Iowa.  Starting in September, only eight of those 23 districts will have a full-time superintendent.