Decatur superintendent contract extended through year’s end

Although Decatur Superintendent Phyllis Edwards announced her resignation last March, this week the school board approved extending her contract through Dec. 31, regardless of when she leaves. She’ll be paid $110,000 or half her annual salary, and she’ll get half her bonus, or $10,000 (the board also this week approved Edwards’ full $20,000 bonus for 2014-15).

The board hopes to hire a new superintendent by September, but there’s no way of knowing when that person will actually start. Edwards’ contract stipulates that she remains in an advisory capacity for two weeks after the new superintendent’s on board, providing that happens before Dec. 31.

“Staying for an extra two weeks is unusual,” Edwards said Thursday. “When I came here [in 2003] I met [her predecessor] Ida Love only once. The truth is, the new person might not want me around that much. But I’ll be as helpful as possible.”