The Cumberland County Board of Education unanimously voted 7-0 for Dr. Rebecca Farley as the next director of schools at the June board meeting.
Following the vote, the board discussed what the next step was in the hiring process. The board must create a contract to negotiate with Farley. This contract will dictate the terms of her employment.
Travis Cole, 8th District, nominated Chairman Chris King, 6th District, to negotiate the contract with Farley. Shannon Stout, 9th District, supported the motion. The board unanimously approved the nomination.
The board scheduled a special-called meeting Wednesday, June 25 at 4 p.m. to discuss the contract draft and potentially vote on it. Once the contract is in place, Farley will begin her term as director of schools July 1.
During the June board meeting, the board discussed the terms of the contract desired for King to negotiate with Farley.
Overall, the board concluded that an appropriate template for the contract would be the contract they drew up with Chris McCarty, the board’s legal counsel, when offering contract negotiations with William Stepp, the former director of schools.
Below are the suggested contract terms the board put on the table to begin negotiations for the contract with Farley. These three topics were not determined in the previous contract discussions with Stepp.
Contract length. Cole said he would like a four-year contract to establish continuity in the district. Scott VanWinkle, 2nd District, said he was not in favor of a four-year contract because of the potential “burden on taxpayers” for the future. King said Farley may want a shorter contract.
Compensation. Stout said that based on Farley’s experience and education the board should not offer any lower than $130,000. Cole suggested a range of $135,000 to $145,000. VanWinkle said he would be comfortable with $135,000 but he said he would not be comfortable offering a vehicle with the “budget crunch.” According to the 2025-’26 budget draft two, Stepp’s compensation in 2024-’25 was $118,560.
Transportation. Stout said there was room for negotiating compensation and vehicle/mileage allowances.
Anita Hale, 4th District, and Nicholas Davis, 5th District, were absent from this meeting.
This is a developing story. Visit www.crossville-chronicle.com and see an upcoming issue of the Chronicle for more information.