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Board attorney outlines legal limits; board pauses superintendent hire and aims for July 1 replacement
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Summary
At a special-call meeting, Muhlenberg County school board members were advised that state rules generally require superintendent terms to begin July 1 and that a mid‑year vacancy creates timing constraints; the board paused the current search, discussed creating an adviser role for the departing superintendent, and agreed to reconvene.
The Muhlenberg County Board of Education met in a special session to discuss the district's superintendent search after an announced mid‑year vacancy.
Board attorney Regina Jackson told the board that, according to the statute she reviewed, "each board of education shall appoint a superintendent of schools whose term of office shall begin on July 1." Jackson said that if a vacancy occurs in the superintendent's office during the election window between an election and when newly elected board members take office, the board may not fill the position until the new members are sworn in and instead may appoint an acting superintendent for a limited period.
The board discussed several options to avoid leaving the district with a longer interim arrangement. One board member proposed asking the departing superintendent — identified in the transcript by her first name, Contessa — to change her retirement date to July 1 or to transfer into a newly created employee role, described in the meeting as an "adviser to the superintendent," with pay equivalent to her current salary. The member said the district could amend the salary schedule so Contessa would not lose pay while changing roles.
Jackson described a possible legal path the board could consider if the superintendent agreed: the district would need a written, conditional resignation or request from the superintendent, the board would create the new position and a job description, and the district would amend the salary schedule. She said the new position would have to be posted for the 15 days required by statute and that the newly appointed superintendent would fill the position once hired. Jackson cautioned that someone could complaint to the Office of Education Accountability (OEA) and argue the arrangement was improper; she said a challenge was possible though not necessarily likely.
Board members debated whether to hire a full new superintendent beginning July 1 or to appoint an acting superintendent for a shorter period. One member said, "I want a full new superintendent starting July 1," while other members said newly elected board members might not feel prepared to hire a superintendent and therefore preferred more time or an acting appointment.
The board took no formal action at the meeting. Members agreed to pause the current hiring process, ask the superintendent for a written statement if the board pursues the adviser option, and to reconvene to consider draft documents. The board tentatively scheduled a follow-up meeting for the first of the next month at 10:00.
The meeting ended on a motion to adjourn, which passed without recorded opposition.
