School board argues over new contract

After voting 4-3 on July 30 to hire Michelle M. McClung as the Escambia County (Ala.) School System's new superintendent, school board members met in a special session Thursday, Aug. 5, to finalize her contract in a meeting that turned into a finger-pointing session with accusations that School Board Chairman Cindy Jackson had told McClung she wasn't welcome.

Jackson quickly responded that those accusations were a lie.

McClung did send a telephone message Tuesday night that she had signed the contract and would send it back to the school board. As of press time Wednesday it had not been received.

Exchanges between school board members and the board's attorney, Broox Garrett, Jr., prompted Garrett to say he would quit if that's what the board wants him to do.

Garrett opened the meeting by telling board members that after the July 30 vote he contacted all six candidates who were on the ballot and said he talked with McClung and told her he would be sending her a contract to become the next superintendent, noting it was the same contract the board had approved for current Superintendent John Knott, with the exception of a pay raise from $128,000 a year to $135,000.

Garrett reported that he received a response from McClung's attorney wanting changes to the contract.

Jackson said she sent McClung a text after the vote congratulating McClung on being selected as the new superintendent.

"When did you tell her you didn't vote for her?" asked Board Member Danny Benjamin. "She stated to me twice that we didn't vote for you. Who's the we?"

"I didn't didn't tell her that, that's a lie," Jackson responded.

Jackson was also accused of 'uninviting' McClung to last Thursday's teacher institute at Flomaton High School, where all teachers and administrators gathered to kick off the new school year.

School Board Member Mike Edwards said he had talked to McClung and said she had a feeling she was not well accepted.

Benjamin asked Jackson if she told McClung not to show up at the teacher institute.

"That was on me," Garrett stood up and said. "She had not signed a contract."

Garrett told the board it would be a huge mistake if the board had introduced her as the new superintendent without a signed contract.

"I'm so embarrassed at the chairman and you," Board Member Loumeek White said to Garrett. "When we hire someone to come to this county, we need to welcome them with open arms."

"Everything I did, either right or wrong, was for the board," Garrett said. "If y'all want me to hit the road, I'll hit the damn road. My job is to represent the board."

Garrett said he had talked to McClung twice, but after she hired an attorney it would be unethical for him to talk to her.

Garrett said he received a letter from her attorney outlining changes she wanted in the contract, that included issues about her having residency in the county.

Board Member White questioned why the board had to cover that in the contract, since it wasn't state law that the superintendent live in the county.

"We want people to live in the county," said Board Member David Nolin.

The contract sent to McClung said she had 90 days to move to the county, but Benjamin said he felt the board needed to be more lenient and give her more time.

"Why did her attorney get involved in the first place?" Benjamin asked.

"That was her choice," Garrett said, noting that once he got the letter from her attorney he couldn't communicate with her.

Garrett said he assumed the changes requested in the contract came with her consent.

One issue was the phrase "In the event she elects to relocate to Escambia County" she requested moving expenses not to exceed $5,000.

Garrett said the original contract, already approved by the board, called for the system to pay 'reasonable' moving expenses that could be more than $5,000.

She also wanted to increase her vacation days from 10 to 15, wanted a stipend for a cell phone and a $500 per month housing stipend.

White said the system had 4,000 children to support and he was willing to stay there all night to work things out.

Benjamin also said "we are all for the betterment of our students, we need to do what's right".

"If you didn't understand that we were using the same contract we have with with Mr. Knott, I'm sorry," Garrett said.

Other changes requested by McClung's lawyer was eliminating a clause that would force her to pay the system the equivalent of three months salary if she breached the contract and decided to leave. The board later agreed to eliminate the clause.

Garrett said he talked with Jackson about the proposed changes, but White said those changes should have come before the board.

"We work as a board," White said. "So we can all sit down together."

Benjamin added that the chairman (Jackson) didn't have that authority.

Jackson said it's up to the chairman and attorney to negotiate the contract and then bring it back to the board for approval or disapproval.

Benjamin again said that during McClung's site visit she told him she would be glad to move to Escambia County.

"Either you're lying or she's lying," Benjamin said to Jackson.

"I'm not lying," Jackson responded. "Call her and get her on a conference call."

Edwards noted that the board had set the salary at $135,00 but the board could negotiate.

"So, we as the board could negotiate. We agreed that our current salary wasn't enough to draw," Edwards said.

He also said he had talked to McClung several times and sent a text to welcome her.

Edwards said that's when she came back with her proposal and felt the whole board would discuss it.

"That's what we are doing right now," Nolin said.

"She has the feeling she's not well accepted," Edwards said.

Benjamin said McClung told him she was ready to come to Escambia County but said she told him that Jackson said "we didn't vote for her twice, and she wept."

Nolin said the board has had people meddling in the process from Atmore and Florida, but added "I trust Cindy Jackson."

Edwards also said he felt the board should accept most of McClung's counter offer and Garrett said her attorney said she was open for more negotiations.

"Give her what she asked," Edwards said. "If she declines, next is (Gary K.) Glass, offer it to him. We want to be a loving county."

Benjamin said he felt like the process of selecting a new superintendent was a perfect process and all the board had to do at this point was to negotiate the contract.

"She needs to be welcomed," Benjamin said. "If we push this lady away, we will get branded. The process was flawless."

Knott said he felt the people of the county and the employees will accept the new superintendent, when named.

"I sit here and it breaks my heart that ya'll think I called her and said we didn't want her," Jackson said. "Sounds like she decided she wants ya'll to believe it. I accepted the vote. I sent her a text, congratulated her and welcomed her here."