Contracts extended for three local principals

Published 3:00 am Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Contracts for the three campus principals in Troy City Schools have been extended through June 2017.

Dr. Lee Hicks, superintendent, told members of the board of education that contracts for the three principals had been renewed for three years during the evaluation process that took place earlier this year.

“We sought clarification from legal counsel because of changes with the Accountability Act and she told us that once the contracts were renewed earlier this year they were renewed for three years, not just one,” Hicks told board members during Monday’s meeting.

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Board members had been given copies of the principal contracts several months ago for review but had taken no action on the contracts. Members Roxie Kitchen questioned the status of the renewals during the meeting.

Hicks said responsibility for evaluating and renewing principal contracts falls under the responsibility of the superintendent and did not require action of the school board unless “there’s a change in their pay or other terms of their contract.”

The principals include Dr. Boyd English at Charles Henderson High School, Aaron Brown at Charles Henderson Middle School and Theresa Simms at Troy Elementary School.

“I just want to be clear that we as a board are not responsible for these principal contracts,” asked Mark Salmon, board member.

“Not unless there is a change in the contract, like a change in pay,” Hicks said. “Now, the principals will receive any pay raises issued to all other employees, if the state passes a 2 percent or 3 percent or 5 percent increase. But if we were to change their pay rate, it would come before the board.”

In other business on Monday, board members:

• Approved the resignation of Kerry Hargarten, TES computer lab instructor, and the retirement of Sylvester Atkins, CHHS driver’s ed teacher. Hicks said both positions were “Foundation funded” and schools administrators had found a short-term solution for staffing the driver’s ed position but likely would need to hire a replacement. “We’re looking at the elementary school to see if we can rearrange some things to cover that one,” he said.

• Approved a resolution proclaiming Nov. 17-21 American Education Week.

• Declared 24 pressure treated posts surplus equipment and approved the sale of those posts through sealed bids. “These were the posts that held up the awnings at the middle school temporary classrooms on the high school campus,” Hicks said. “We don’t need them anymore.” CFO Mickey Daughtry said the bid process will last one week and the equipment will be sold to the highest bidder.

• Approved the financial report, which included news that sales tax revenues in October were $267.181.16, a 13 percent increase over the prior year. Utilities expenses were $58,948 for the period of Aug. 10 through Sept. 10, an increase of 28 percent from the prior period.