Board moves superintendent to grants role, opens search for 2025–26

The Preston Joint School District Board voted unanimously to terminate Superintendent Dr. Harrison’s 2025–26 superintendent contract and simultaneously offered him an Administrator Contract to serve as District Grants Administrator and Program Manager for the 2025–26 school year while preserving the same salary and benefits.

The action, moved by Chris Jones and seconded by Launa Moser, carried with five yea votes from trustees Jones, Keller, Lyons, Moser and Yardley. The Administrator Addendum included in the proposed contract sets a base salary of One Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($125,000) for the 208‑day term beginning July 1, 2025, and describes responsibilities to identify and manage grant and donor funding and assist district leadership with compliance and grant reporting. At the board’s request, Dr. Harrison agreed to contact the Idaho School Boards Association to obtain the district’s least expensive superintendent search support to market the vacancy.

Board discussion traced funding constraints that complicate adding administrators: Dr. Harrison and Assistant Superintendent Brady Garner told trustees that the district is currently over its administrator index by approximately 0.3 FTE and is likewise over about 2.0 teacher FTEs, meaning the state would not reimburse for an additional administrative hire. Trustees pressed how any new administrator position would be funded and how success would be measured; Dr. Harrison said the Grants Administrator position would conduct needs assessments, pursue external funding, and help manage grant budgets and compliance.

Dr. Harrison told the board he would not accept an undefined reassignment. “I am not okay with that. I am not,” he said when asked if he would forgo the superintendent role without a spelled‑out job description and contract. He said he brought a formal contract and addendum to the special meeting and insisted on having a defined assignment before relinquishing the superintendent role.

The board also approved a motion to open and advertise the superintendent position for the 2025–26 school year and requested ISBA support to create outreach materials. Trustees said they will follow up with communications to staff and stakeholders and finalize personnel matters with the Preston Education Foundation and other affected parties during the transition.

Next steps: the district will post the superintendent vacancy, use basic ISBA search tools per the board’s direction, and proceed with the advertised timeline; Dr. Harrison will remain superintendent through the 2024–25 school year and, per the approved motion, is offered the Administrator Contract for 2025–26.