BRYANT - The Bryant School Board unanimously agreed Monday to a “separation agreement” between the district and former Superintendent Randy Rutherford and announced that interim superintendent Fred Dawson will remain in that post during a search for a new superintendent.
Rutherford was suspended for at least 30 days with pay March 10, although School Board members recommended his termination at the time. The superintendent had 30 days to appeal the suspension but didn’t, and the board appointed Dawson as the interim superintendent.
The board met in a specially called meeting Monday to decide what steps to take, and after nearly two hours in executive session, the board approved the agreement. The district has not said why Rutherford was suspended, nor have board members disclosed what the terms of the agreement are, including if the district is still paying Rutherford.
Board President Rhonda Sanders again said it was a “personnel matter,” and she could not comment further.
Rutherford earned an annual salary of $155,000 - the same rate they agreed to pay Dawson, according to their contracts. The district paid about $12,916.67 to each superintendent during the month-long suspension while Dawson served as interim.
“We appreciate Mr. Dawson’s commitment to our district during this time,” Sanders said in a news release distributed after the meeting.
Dawson’s contract had been set to end Friday but can continue “on a daily basis thereafter until such time as this Contract is terminated,” the contract states. The board can end the contract “for any reason upon ten (10) days written notice to the other party,” the contract states.
That differed from Rutherford’s contract, which would have expired June 30, 2016. He’s held the superintendent position since 2010.
Under Rutherford’s contract, the district can terminate the superintendent upon finding “good cause,” in accordance with the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act of 2010. Under the act, cause “is not arbitrary, capricious, or discriminatory for the nonrenewal, termination or suspension of a teacher.”
Rutherford’s benefits included 10 days of annual vacation leave, a $600 monthly vehicle allowance, reimbursement for vehicle travel outside the district based on state mileage rates, and cellphone and technology equipment. It was still unclear Monday how many vacation days Rutherford had used and if the board would pay him for the unspent vacation days.
After Monday’s meeting, the board didn’t immediately hand over documents detailing the “separation agreement” requested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette under the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
Arkansas, Pages 9 on 04/08/2014