Lake County Schools board votes down two‑year renewal for Director Dr. Burton

The Lake County Schools board voted 4–5 on a motion to renew Director Dr. Burton's contract for two years, defeating the motion at a regular meeting. The motion was made by board member John and seconded by board member Diane; the vote failed by a 5–4 margin.

The vote followed a brief discussion in which several members commended Dr. Burton for work since the retreat and recent progress on instruction and morale. Prior to the vote, two public commenters addressed the board: Nancy Lee asked the board to hear an appeal of a two‑day unpaid suspension she said was imposed by Dr. Burton and said she had been cleared by the sheriff’s department; Sunny Riley urged the board to retain Dr. Burton, calling him an "instructional leader" who had improved student growth and faculty strength.

Board member John moved to renew Dr. Burton’s contract for two years; Diane seconded the motion. The roll call proceeded with members voting in the order recorded on the meeting transcript. The board announced the final count as four yes votes and five no votes, and the motion failed.

Because the motion did not pass, no contract extension was adopted at the meeting. Board members discussed having staff draft contract language and return to the board for consideration; the board did not adopt a new contract or set a new deadline during the meeting.

The vote and the preceding public comments underscore differing views among board members and in the community about district leadership and next steps. The board did not take any formal action on Nancy Lee’s appeal at the meeting; she requested clarification of the policy she had been told she violated and the board indicated public comment was noted.