Omaha School District Picks McCann as Its Next Superintendent

Shorewood Superintendent Blane McCann won’t remain retired for long as he was tapped Monday to be the next chief of a school system in Omaha, NE.

School officials at Westside Community Schools voted 4-2 to approve McCann to fill their empty superintendent post, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

McCann, who announced Jan. 9 , was one of .

The district is located “in the heart of Omaha” and was looking to replace its  current superintendent, Jacquie Estee, who announced in August she would retire at the end of this school year.

Westside is the third largest district in the city of Omaha, a 13-school system and a highly-acclaimed public school district — one of the best in the U.S., the district’s website boasts. The district's enrollment this year is nearly 5,900. In comparison, Shorewood has more than 2,000 students.

McCann has served as superintendent of the since August 2003, with a current annual salary of $152,250. Estee’s base salary is $178,602, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

, according to a separation agreement with the school district.

His retirement announcement stirred up controversy in the village, after some parents and residents crowded a School Board meeting the day after his announcement and .

However, McCann has maintained it is time for him to “move forward,” and board members insist the allegations are false and that McCann's choice to retire was his own.