Board approves short-term HR contract for Tim Peterson after heated debate over cost
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Summary
The board voted 5–2 to offer Tim Peterson an administrative contract for Jan. 1–June 16, 2026 after members raised concerns that the contract exceeded the adopted budget and lacked explicit deliverables; staff argued immediate HR capacity is essential.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District Board of Education on Nov. 20 approved offering an administrative contract to Tim Peterson for Jan. 1–June 16, 2026, after a lengthy debate over compensation, deliverables and budget authority.
Board members opposing the contract said the proposed pay and benefits exceed the adopted budget and that there was no amended budget or written deliverables in the contract to justify the higher cost. One member said the daily salary in the contract is listed at $682 and that, including benefits, the contract equates to about $1,074 per day — figures the member said exceed district budget assumptions and could require a formal budget transfer or amendment.
"If we are expecting him to handle these negotiations and do all of these things, but there's in the contract there are no deliverables that state that," a dissenting member said, adding that the board had not approved an amended budget that would account for the increased cost.
District staff and a central-office HR administrative assistant defended the hiring. Jessie Embree, who identified herself as an administrative assistant in HR, said Peterson performed functions during a weeklong visit and that the district is at risk because critical HR tasks have been delayed. Business manager Daniel Schoeller told the board the budget passed in April showed a significant surplus at that time but that lower student counts and other changes make an amended budget likely; he said the district could cover roughly $17,000 of the difference and that HR capacity is urgently needed.
After discussion the board voted 5–2 to approve the offer. Roll-call votes recorded in the meeting show five members in favor and two opposed. The board chair said Peterson is expected to relocate to Ketchikan for the contract period and that the district hoped to have him start promptly.
Board members said questions remain about the funding source for the overage and whether contract language should more clearly spell out deliverables tied to the higher pay. Several members requested that future contracts specify expectations and noted that the district's recent receipt of a borough memo about alleged overspending increases the need for clear accounting and approved budget transfers.
The board did not approve any immediate budget amendment at the Nov. 20 meeting; members said they would expect documentation or a formal amended budget before authorizing further over-budget expenditures.
