Beechwood parents and teachers spoke out during a school board meeting where they accused the legislative body of executing a “rushed vote” to extend Superintendent Dr. Mike Stacy’s contract.
On Monday, May 13, the Beechwood school board voted 3-2 in favor of a motion to rescind Stacy’s current contract and approve a new three-year contract. Board President Jeanne Berger, Melanie Stricker, and Amy Sleet voted in favor of the motion, while Brad Hood and Norine Sullivan voted against it.
Stacy’s current contract was approved on July 11, 2022. It was set to expire in July 2025.
The meeting began with Sullivan’s motion to table the contract agenda item until after the November school board elections. The motion to table failed in a 3-2 vote. Berger, Stricker, and Sleet voted in favor of the motion, while Hood and Sullivan voted against it.
Multiple parents spoke against the timing of the motion to vote on a contract extension.
Andrew Cullison, a parent and president of the Beechwood band boosters, said he had two main problems with the motion: the legality of the contract extension and what he labeled as the “subversion of the democratic process” by the school board.
“One of those is to rewind the clock on the contract, so that this board can make the decision on contract renewal, rather than let the contract finish out and let the new board so it seems like there’s an intent while the board is favored to like Dr. Stacy,” he said.
Last week, a petition created by a group of parents circulated on social media to remove the motion to vote on Superintendent Stacy’s contract from the school board’s meeting agenda. The petition states that the motion to rescind Stacy’s current contract creates an opportunity for the current board to vote on a new contract that would cement his role for another three years.
Opponents argued that the maneuver robs community members of a chance to vote in the school board elections that could decide the fate of Stacy’s contract by locking in his contract now, rather than after the November elections.
“This is a fast-tracked strategy and loophole to allow the current board to decide the fate of the Superintendent contract, rather than allow the next 3-4 years to be decided by the new board,” reads the petition. The petition has gathered around 460 signatures.
Prior to the school board meeting, Michael Orzali, a parent of Beechwood students and signatory of the petition, told LINK nky he felt it was not the appropriate time to vote on the fate of Stacy’s contract.
“You know, ultimately the board works for us as a community and Dr. Stacy works for the board, and the people and the parents deserve transparency and the whole idea of rushing a contract through is a major concern,” he said.
There were parents who did speak in favor of Stacy’s contract extension.
During the public comment section, Sharon Geiger said Stacy has generated a “positive culture shift” in the district and supported his contract extension.
“While we cannot make all the people happy all the time, I believe that he has always had the best interest of the school in this community,” Geiger said.
Stacy currently makes $249,141 as superintendent. He is the second-highest-paid superintendent in Northern Kentucky and the fourth-highest in Kentucky. Stacy has received a pay increase each school year since he was hired in 2015, according to a superintendent salary spreadsheet published by the Kentucky Department of Education. That year, he earned $135,000.
Supporters of Stacy argued that the three-year extension and salary increase was warranted due to his track record of accomplishments throughout his tenure.
“I’m confident in the job that Dr. Stacy, the administrative team, as well as the board have accomplished in order to complete the vision of facilities, finances, curriculum for a long term sustainability plan,” Berger said.
Additionally, Berger said Beechwood Schools had faced “unprecedented events” over the past few years and the district, led by Stacy, had maneuvered through “with success.”
This isn’t the first time members of the Beechwood school board have defended Stacy regarding his contract status. In March 2021, Berger read a statement during a school board meeting that expressed support for Stacy’s salary increase.
Beechwood Schools is one of the top-performing school districts in Kentucky. According to U.S. News & World Report, it is the fifth-ranked public school district in the state. The district boasts approximately 1,500 students ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade.
This story will continue to be updated.
