GREENLAND -- The major difference in Larry Ben's former job and his new one is that he is in a bigger school district.

Otherwise, it's business as usual for Ben, 55, the superintendent of the Greenland School District.

He comes from Decatur where he spent four years as superintendent. That's where similarities begin.

He was hired for the Decatur job by then-Arkansas Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell as Decatur emerged from fiscal distress. The state took over operations and the School Board was disbanded. The district was being returned to local control when Ben was named superintendent.

The Greenland District had been declared in fiscal distress at the same time and Kimbrell named Charles Cudney superintendent as it came out of distress.

The two formed a bond because of the shared experience, Ben said Wednesday.

When Cudney resigned to become director of the Northwest Arkansas Education Services Cooperative, Ben saw an opportunity, he said.

Pat Anderson, president of the Greenland School Board, said Ben received strong recommendations from Cudney and Roland Smith, who served as Greenland's interim superintendent while it was under state control.

"He dealt with a situation similar to Greenland when we were in fiscal distress," Anderson said.

Dan Marzoni, another board member, said the strong recommendations swayed him as well as the fact Ben had a three-year contract in Decatur.

"I had a good view of the district," Ben said. "It was a chance to move to a larger district and I am interested in growing professionally. I have found that to be true in the two weeks I've been here."

Decatur last year had 540 students in kindergarten through 12th grade and Greenland enrolled 805, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.

Cudney said he observed Ben handling the financial situation in Decatur while Cudney was doing the same in Greenland.

"While keeping Decatur on a positive trajectory, he also was very focused on curriculum and instruction and to improve student achievement," Cudney said.

Much of Ben's first weeks have been spent learning who in the district has which skills and determining where he might need to plug in his own skills. He is also overseeing the completion of $1 million in improvements around the football field.

"I feel a familiarity," Ben said, "And, I don't want to go back fiscally. I'll be watching the fund balance to make sure it stays healthy. And, I'll stay in touch with contacts at the State Education Department. I don't want to wait until they contact me."

Ben said Greenland is in good shape financially.

The state revenue the district receives comes from taxes paid by residents with the intention that it be spent on children, he said.

"We will use those resources to educate kids and to provide the best teachers, curriculum and equipment that we can afford," Ben said.

He said he has no plans to change staffing, curriculum or other operations of the district with one exception.

Algebra I, offered to all eighth-graders in previous years, will be available only to students who scored at the advanced level on the seventh grade Benchmark test last year. Middle school staff members recommended the change and Ben said he agreed.

Ben said he has one goal. He wants to figure out what to do with the old elementary school in Winslow, which Greenland owns because of a consolidation years ago.

"It's a target for vandalism and a liability," he said. He hopes to find a way to preserve the building and find another use.

"My philosophy is to keep everything running as is and I'm the one who changes," he said. He wants to see the staff develop into a team that is working together.

"I believe in being a leader, not just a manager," he said. "I don't want to be just a boss. I want the staff to develop leadership skills so we're not so job oriented but more goal oriented. And, I want to get better leading people. In terms of mission and purpose, this is a good school and we have a good product."