Board approves countywide athletic director job description amid budget and staffing concerns; 3-2 vote

The Madison County School Board voted 3-2 on March 17 to approve a countywide athletic director (AD) job description and move the position forward for bargaining and implementation next school year.

Board member Miss Knight moved to accept the job description; Miss Thompson seconded. After debate about release time for the AD and whether the district could afford a county-level AD or an AD plus assistant, the motion passed on a 3-2 vote. Board members Miss Hagan and Miss Gibson voted no.

Opponents raised budgetary and staffing concerns. "I don't think you're gonna give me the cost savings," Miss Hagan said during discussion, pressing staff for a cost analysis that the board was told would be subject to negotiations with the bargaining unit. A board member asking about benefits for students and taxpayers said the final supplement amount and potential assistant position would be determined in collective-bargaining negotiations.

Supporters said consolidating AD duties could reduce duplicated administrative work across the district's four schools and provide a single point of contact for athletics oversight. The approved description notes the AD will require release time and that some duties may be staffed by other high-school staff under current agreements. The board set the role to take effect next school year; final compensation and release-time details will be resolved through the district's bargaining process.

The vote was one of several personnel- and program-related items the board addressed during the meeting.