Board declines motion to extend Director of Schools Brian’s contract; members discuss rewriting agreement

The Lebanon Special School District board debated whether to extend the director of schools’ contract and ultimately did not approve the motion to extend it.

Board member Mark moved to extend “Brian’s contract, his present contract, is 07/01/2024 through 06/30/2028,” and proposed “a new contract that begins July 1 and goes through June 30” of a subsequent four-year term. Mark called Brian “highly respected in the community” and said the director is “very approachable and clearly cares about the well-being and the success of our children.”

The chair said the board attorney had reviewed the current agreement and raised legal concerns about the contract’s language, and that a rewritten contract might be required before any extension could be executed: “I talked to her…one of the reasons…there’s some concerns about the current contract…that she wanted to rewrite.” After clarifying whether the motion was to extend the existing contract or to craft a new agreement, the board again considered the motion but “the motion does not carry.”

The discussion centered on two issues: members who urged continuity and a longer term for the director, and legal staff advice that the current contract’s wording may need revision before the board takes final action. The transcript records supportive testimony for the director’s leadership and fiscal management, and no formal extension passed at the meeting.

What happens next: Board members said they would take the attorney’s advice into account and bring contract language back for further action at a future meeting, rather than approving an immediate extension.