Cannon County board bars Touchdown Club from directly paying coach salary supplements

The Cannon County Board of Education voted to block a booster organization from directly paying supplemental salary to coaches, citing legal guidance and concerns about how such payments are processed.

The decision followed testimony from Terry Wetzell, who told the board he had consulted Comptroller Greg Worley. "Salary supplement for board employees must be paid through the board of education," Wetzell said, and said the booster should donate to the board for that purpose rather than paying supplements directly. Wetzell also noted the district’s budgets and fundraising documents for prior years had listed supplements.

Board members debated legal risk and how fundraising forms are interpreted by the comptroller. A board member who made the motion to deny the booster’s ability to pay supplements cited counsel’s advice and Title IX concerns as part of the rationale. Members also heard public comments questioning whether booster funds should be used for coach pay rather than equipment, helmets and field repairs.

On a roll call the motion to not approve the Touchdown Club providing salary supplements carried with three votes in favor and one pass/abstention; the chair noted the board had consulted legal counsel before the vote. The board did not adopt any alternate mechanism for supplements at the meeting.

The outcome leaves the district’s current practice in place: salary supplements must be processed through the board’s budgeting and payroll procedures, and any booster support would need to be structured as a donation to the board for an approved purpose. The board did not schedule further action on this item at the meeting.