Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Superintendent’s Contract Approved
PRAIRIE GROVE — Prairie Grove School Board last week approved a new one-year contract, retroactive to Jan. 16, for Superintendent Reba Holmes.
The board met in executive session March 12 and then reconvened in public to discuss and vote on the contract, which runs through the 201920 school year.
Shawn Shrum, president, said the new contract has been amended with the assistance of attorney Marshall Ney of Rogers. Ney has worked on employment contracts for other school districts, according to Shrum.
Shrum said Ney recommended making the contract retroactive to Jan. 16 because that’s when the board voted to remove the word “interim” from Holmes’ title and to have her continue as school superintendent for the 2019-20 year. She was named interim superintendent in July 2018.
The contract shows that Holmes will receive a $20,000 stipend for the 201819 school year. Her salary for 2019-20, beginning July 1, will be $105,131, which is the same salary she is receiving now with the $20,000 stipend.
Board members briefly discussed giving her a costof-living raise next year but Holmes said she was fine with the salary as proposed.
Board member J.D. Dobbs pointed out the board could consider a raise when Holmes achieves her superintendent’s license. The amended contract requires Holmes to have the license by June 30, 2022. Holmes already is taking classes at the University of Arkansas for certification and said she plans to finish in May 2020.
Holmes will receive other benefits, such as health insurance, on the same level as other district employees. She has 10 vacation or non-contract days and the same holidays and sick leave as available to other employees on 250-day contracts.
The board will conduct an annual evaluation of Holmes in January and also will meet with her on a quarterly basis to discuss and evaluate progress toward accomplishing performance goals.
The contract encourages Holmes to seek continued professional growth, be involved in civic and community affairs and allows her to be a paid outside consultant, as long as it does not interfere with her duties.
Other sections in the contract require Holmes to conduct herself in a manner with regard to “public conventions and morals” and refrain from any conduct that degrades her reputation or brings her or the district or board into public contempt or ridicule or that tends to shock or offend the community.
Renewal or nonrenewal of the contract is solely at the discretion of the board.
This is Holmes’ 26th year with Prairie Grove School District and her 34th year in education. She started as a classroom teacher in Prairie Grove, was assistant principal at the intermediate school for two years and then moved to the principal’s position at the middle school.