YUHSD board debates teacher fee, new leader search process

Issue unresolved for 3 challenging penalty for breaking contract

The assessment of a “recruitment fee” against certified employees who break their contracts continued to ensnare the Yuma Union High School District governing board Wednesday evening.

The issue, along with how to proceed in selecting a new superintendent, dominated the discussion at the regular board meeting at the Yuma High cafeteria.

YUHSD Board President Phil Townsend noted that “quite a bit of information” had been provided to board members since the issue was discussed at a special meeting July 25. The issue first came to the board’s notice at a call to the public July 12, and was added to the July 25 special meeting agenda. The item was tabled at that meeting to allow for more research.

Board member Teri Brooks questioned whether the fee was an incentive or a deferment, to which Human Resources Director Wanda Ellis noted it is a fee that is assessed if a teacher breaks their contract after it has already been signed.

“Just to let you know, currently we have 34 openings, 20 in San Luis alone,” Ellis said, “and we’re having to fill those by teachers having to work extra periods.”

Board member David Lara said he felt the fee should be extended to all employees, including Superintendent Toni Badone, who was released from her contract July 28.

Ellis said that clause is not “in the superintendent’s contract,” nor is it included in classified employee contracts, as those positions are easy to fill.

“It is much harder to find a teacher that is highly qualified, which are certified positions,” she said.

Townsend explained that “a superintendent’s contract is a separate contract with the board, and is generally a multi-year contract, not a one-year contract.”

The reason that release clauses are not included in those types of contracts, he continued, is because superintendents “serve at the will of the board and can be terminated for any reason at any point in time.”

Brooks, who was once an elementary educator, said, “There needs to be some kind of consequence when the school or district is expecting someone to be there.”

The board moved to leave the verbiage as is for now, but to allow the superintendent to designate staff to decide whether the fee may be waived by the district.

However, Assistant Superintendent Gina Thompson noted that the three teachers who were awaiting the board’s decision would have to wait until a future meeting, as their names were not specifically listed on the agenda. After the meeting, the two former teachers, Angela Diaz and Maria Aguiniga, expressed sadness that the issue was not resolved.

In other action, the board reviewed three proposals from different search companies in its hunt for a new superintendent. Badone is retiring from the district effective Oct. 1.

“I don’t think we need to be in any huge hurry. We can take our time as long as it’s not too long,” Townsend said. “I’m confident that we have competent staff internally but we owe it to the community to look everywhere.”

Townsend said the board has the option to do an inhouse search, a statewide search or a nationwide search.

Board members Brooks and Lara asked whether spending money to hire an outside firm to conduct a search is a prudent use of taxpayer dollars. The three proposals ranged in price from about $16,000 to $28,000.

Both Townsend and board member Bruce Gwynn said community input would be invaluable, and faculty and staff should be able to weigh in on the decision.

“We need to look outside to make sure we have the best on the inside,” said Gwynn, who was attending by conference call. Shelley Mellon agreed.

Even though Townsend noted the district has some outstanding leaders in the district, he disagreed with Brooks that the board should hire in-house.

“This is our No. 1 job, to hire a superintendent and we have to hire right,” Brooks said.

“My concern about that is parents might say it was an ‘inside’ job,” he said.

The board voted on a 3-2 margin for staff to use an outside vendor and to seek more proposals from firms.

In other business the board:

• approved an intergovernmental agreement allowing the existence of consortiums with Arizona Western College, District One and NAU-Yuma for transportation, technology, procurement, television services

• awarded its safety campaign incentives to area high schools

• approved the first reading of policies