School Board Sets Contract Terms for Next Director

The next Director of Schools will be offered a two year contract with a starting base salary of $85,000 per year.
Following a ninety minute work session Thursday evening, the DeKalb County Board of Education met in regular monthly session and set the terms of the contract.
“I’d like to make a motion to set the salary at $85,000 a year with a two year contract and the possibility of advancement in pay and extension of contract if expectations are met in the evaluation process of the director,” said Sixth District Board member Doug Stephens. Third district member Jim Beshearse offered a second to the motion and all members voted in favor including First district member Danny Parkerson, Second District member Jerry Wayne Johnson, Fourth district member Kate Miller, and Seventh district member Shaun Tubbs along with Board Chairman W.J. (Dub) Evins, III and members Stephens and Beshearse.
“That evaluation according to law I think will have to be next March so it (contract) will be somewhat less than a year (before yearly evaluation). This first year contract is not going to be a full year anyway (until the evaluation). We’ll have an opportunity during the evaluation to possibility grant a pay increase at that time if a majority of goals have been met to the board’s satisfaction and extend that contract for an additional year which at that point would still just be a two year contract,” said Board Chairman Evins
It appears that either DCHS Principal Patrick Cripps or Supervisor of Special Education Gina Arnold will be the next Director of Schools.
The third finalist Michael James Steele of Spring Hill, Executive Principal for Stratford STEM High School has withdrawn his name from consideration.
The school board will have a workshop on Monday, July 13 at 7 p.m. apparently for the purpose of developing a set of questions to ask Cripps and Arnold during interviews with them on Tuesday, July 14 at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
The School Board will then meet in a special session on Thursday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m. to name a new director.