Columbia Board of Education narrowly approves superintendent’s contract extension
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia Board of Education narrowly approved Monday an extension of the district superintendent's contract after his first year on the job.
The seven-member board voted 4-0 with three abstentions to extend Superintendent Brian Yearwood's contract through the 2025-2026 school year. Board members Helen Wade, David Seamon, Blake Willoughby and Chris Horn voted for the extension.
Jeanne Snodgrass, Katherine Sasser and Suzette Waters all abstained, citing a process they felt was rushed.
Yearwood was hired last May and at least one board member -- Snodgrass -- said she had not been able to evaluate the job Yearwood has done before voting. Yearwood's initial contract was also good for three years.
WATCH: Video of Columbia Board of Education meeting
"I feel like I've been put in a very difficult position by board leadership," Snodgrass said. Seamon is the board president and Horn is vice president.
Sasser said shortcuts in the process of evaluating the superintendent's performance and giving pay raises could lead to abuse of power.
"In holding this vote at this time we've abandoned our process and policies," Sasser said.
The board members who voted to extend the contract praised Yearwood's work while acknowledging more work needs to be done. The extension gives Yearwood the chance to implement solutions to ongoing problems, Wade said.
Horn said board policies don't require an evaluation before a contract extension but that evaluations are important.
Yearwood was hired last year with a salary of nearly $240,000. The extension allows his pay to increase up to 10% yearly but requires it to be in line with raises given to teachers.
The vote Monday night creates an "intent to extend" the contract and Yearwood's compensation will be set when the district budget is approved in the spring, said CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark.
