Overton County board narrows director of schools contract to two years, plans staff survey and TSBA severability clause

The Overton County Board of Education discussed revisions to the director of schools employment contract and agreed informally to set the contract term at two years, with the contract (if finalized at that length) ending in June 2027. The board also directed staff to add a severability clause recommended by the Tennessee School Boards Association and to run an anonymous evaluation of employees who work directly with the director before a follow-up work session.

Board members said continuity of leadership weighed against shorter terms for accountability. A majority of board members voiced support for a two-year contract during the meeting; several members said they preferred shorter terms (one or 12 months) while one member favored a longer term. Board members asked staff to confirm how the contract language about probation and automatic rollovers should read and to add the TSBA-recommended severability clause as a new numbered paragraph in the draft contract.

The board discussed compensation language in the draft agreement and noted that the proposed contract salary…