The DeKalb County Board of Education voted to extend the contract of School Director Patrick Cripps last week, adding another year to his agreement to the year 2025. One school board member wanted to extend the contract to two years, the maximum allowed until the next election, but other members didn’t see eye to eye.

During last Thursday’s regular monthly meeting, School Board member Danny Parkerson made a motion to extend Cripps’ contract another two years, to the year 2026, but the measure failed with a lack of a second. Parkerson had noted that other directors in the area were making much more than Cripps, and he wanted to extend the contract in order to keep Cripps in the area. The board only has the authority to extend contracts to board members’ terms in office.

With the motion failing, Member Alan Hayes made a motion to extend the contract by one year, as it had been during previous years, which was seconded by Jamie Cripps. The board then voted 6-0 to grant a one-year contract extension. Board member Jason Miller was absent.

Cripps’ contract was to run through June 30, 2024, but with the extension it will take him to June 30, 2025. He has served as Director since July, 2015. According to the contract, Cripps will have a base salary of $100,000 in the 2023-24 budget, but he is entitled to the same salary raises that the Board grants to all licensed employees going forward. According to Chairman Shaun Tubbs, the board gave Cripps and overall average score of 4.32 out of a possible 6 score in its performance evaluation of him.

In other school board business, DeKalb County teachers and support staff will be getting another pay raise with passage of the 2023-24 budget.

The Board adopted the new 2023-24 budget which includes a raise of $3,000 per teacher and other certified personnel, and a $2,000 increase in pay for support staff. According to Director of Schools Patrick Cripps, this pay raise would put starting salaries for teachers in DeKalb County at $50,000 per year. The school budget must be recommended by the county budget committee and approved by the full county commission before it can be implemented.

The board also adopted school calendars for both the 2024-25 and the 2025-26 school years, and gave permission for the DCHS Football Program to build an addition to the press box, provided that the plans meet safety and code regulations.

Board member Jim Beshearse also made a motion to have DeKalb County High School look into starting a TSSAA sanctioned track and field and cross country program. Currently, DCHS coops with Warren County High School for the teams, but with the success of some of the local participants, the board is interested in possibly starting DeKalb’s own program. The measure passed unanimously.