Cumberland County board debates renegotiated director of schools contract, asks counsel for revised drafts

Cumberland County Board of Education members spent the bulk of a January work session poring over a proposed renegotiated contract for Director of Schools Michael Stepp, asking for changes to term length, severance language and several administrative provisions and directing board counsel to produce revised drafts.

The discussion covered the contract’s proposed four-year term beginning January 2025; a vehicle/car-allowance provision (a $600-per-month option versus district purchase and maintenance of a road-worthy vehicle); a residency clause; the board’s and director’s duties as referenced to Tennessee law; and indemnification and severance terms. Board counsel Chris McCarty, who reviewed the draft on behalf of the board, told members the terms were legally typical but could be adjusted to reflect local preferences.

Board members repeatedly raised two practical concerns: limiting long-term financial exposure if a future board sought to end the contract and ensuring evaluation timing would give the board current performance information before any renewal decision. Several board members told counsel they preferred a shorter term than four years; council said the board could lawfully offer any term up to four years but agreed to prepare alternate drafts reflecting shorter terms, including a two-and-a-half-year option discussed during the meeting.

Members debated the contract’s severance/buyout language for a no-cause termination. The board asked counsel to draft an option tying any no-cause payout to base salary only (excluding certain benefits and allowances), so that a contract buyout would not automatically include the full value of fringe and vehicle allowances. McCarty indicated that approach is a typical drafting option and said he would insert it as an explicit choice in the revised draft.

Other provisions discussed in detail included: - Residency requirement: the…