Board offers superintendent contract extension

SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Elementary School Board offered a three-year contract extension to Superintendent Josh Gibbs at its Jan. 18 meeting.

Gibbs has been the Superintendent at SLE for two school years and his current contract ends in June of 2022.

In the negotiations at the meeting Gibbs had just two requests, four-day workweeks in July so he could have a little more time off in the summer and Thanksgiving and Christmas break off. His current contract is for 260 days (five days a week for 52 weeks per year) so he has to use his vacation pay to take any of those days off.

Trustee Doc Welter said that in two school districts in which he formerly worked, principal and vice principal contracts ranged from 210 to 220 days. Gibbs is fulfilling both the principal and superintendent duties at SLE.

Welter felt he would need more days to fulfill his duties but proposed cutting Gibbs’ contract down to 250 days.

Trustee Kathy Teague questioned if the 10 extra days would be enough. Trustee Gary Wayne questioned if they could drop it a little more.

Gibbs was asked if he felt he could complete the job in 240 days. He replied that if he couldn’t, he would be in working extra days anyways.

“He’s going to work the number of days it takes to get the job done, I know that,” said Welter.

The Board discussed raising Gibbs’ salary from the previous two years at $90,000. The teachers this year receive a 3% raise after going a year with no raise. Welter said some school districts limit administrators to the percent given to teachers.

Chair Kyle Marx questioned if the budget could handle a raise over three years. The way the contract is written, however, allows the board to consider a raise each year. Currently the budget could handle it but projecting revenue out three years is hard.

The Board voted to offer Gibbs a contract extension for three years including the terms of his current contract but reducing the number of contract days to 240 and raising his salary by 2%.

In other business, the Board approve the hiring of Bradley Miller and Mary Strumpfer as girls’ basketball coaches.

The next meeting will be held Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m.