The Newport Board of Education approved an extension of its consulting contract with former finance director Tete Turner, adding up to $20,000 in additional work through July 2026.
Turner’s original contract from March 6 to February 2026 was to help the district assess its budget shortfall. That original contract was “not to exceed” $25,000, and the full amount has already been used.
Under the new contract, the district seeks Turner’s services for additional work throughout the remainder of the current school year. The new contract is effective Nov. 1, through July 31, 2026. The new contract is not to exceed $20,000 or $65.17 an hour.
Newport resident Max Long spoke at the board of education meeting, questioning the extra $20,000 pay for a shorter contracted period than before.
“I’m just trying to understand how we paid for 12 months of services for $25,000, and an additional five months is almost the same amount, $20,000,” Long said.
Newport Board of Education Chair Ramona Malone said Turner reports to the board and can only work on matters as directed by the board. She said $20,000 is the ceiling for that pay and did not expect Turner to reach that.
Turner was hired in March to help the board review the previous year’s budget and verify its accuracy. At the time, the board said it needed updated, realistic numbers showing its financial position, as a draft budget predicted a $3.9 million deficit. The board met in a special meeting on Aug. 13 to provide the public with a financial update, which Turner was a part of, and announced that the district had a balanced budget.
“Last year, the challenges required a lot of time,” Malone said. “We were dealing with budget cuts. We were looking at our entire financial system, making sure positions were being paid out of the right funds. It was really an overhaul, but we are past that. Things have settled down.”
Malone said Turner will continue helping the district clean things up under the new contract, albeit on a smaller scale.