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Board approves new hires; narrowly removes liquidated-damages for teacher resignations
Summary
The Liberty board unanimously approved hires for executive director of technology and director of student services on Feb. 3. In a separate personnel vote the board approved personnel actions while deciding not to apply liquidated-damage penalties to teachers, a motion that passed 3–2.
The Liberty Elementary District governing board on Feb. 3 approved two administrative hires and took a contentious vote on personnel contract penalties.
Hires approved
- Executive Director, Information Systems and Technology: Lane Mann was approved unanimously. Administration told the board about a competitive pool — about 20–22 applicants — and said four candidates completed the final performance task portion of the interview process. Mann addressed the board after his approval and said he would lead with “empathy and trust.”
- Director of Student Services: Kelly Zivczyk was approved unanimously; administrators said the recruitment produced roughly 25 applicants with six candidates taken through full interviews.
Liquidated-damages vote
The board then considered personnel action items that included the district's practice of assigning liquidated-damage penalties when a certificated employee resigns after contract acceptance. A trustee moved to approve the personnel items but to remove any application of liquidated damages to the teachers listed; the motion passed 3–2. Board members who voted yes said they were concerned about equitable application of the penalty; at least one trustee said past practice had waived penalties for promotions and they wanted consistent treatment.
Other personnel-related approvals
The board also approved a developer donation agreement tied to new-home plats (rooftop donations of $1,000 per home, anticipated roughly 437 homes) and approved an updated meeting schedule for 2025–26 that will move monthly regular meetings to Tuesday evenings.
What the votes mean
- The unanimous approvals put the new executive director and director of student services into their roles with start dates the administration provided.
- The narrower 3–2 vote to decline liquidated damages for the teachers listed will reduce the immediate contract penalties for those staff; trustees said they want consistent policy application going forward and asked administration for clearer criteria.
Vote records (as recorded in meeting)
- Motion to approve hiring of Lane Mann, Executive Director of Information Systems and Technology: Passed unanimously.
- Motion to approve hiring of Kelly Zivczyk, Director of Student Services: Passed unanimously.
- Motion to approve personnel action items but waive liquidated damages for teachers listed: Passed 3–2.
Administration said it would provide documentation and the committee materials used during hiring and would return with any requested clarification on equitable application of liquidated damages.
