Fayette school board releases addendum to superintendent’s contract after withholding it
The Fayette school board on Thursday unanimously approved an addendum to Superintendent Demetrus Liggins’ contract, but district officials did not make the document publicly available before or immediately after the vote.
On Friday afternoon, after repeated requests from the Herald-Leader, the school district released the contract addendum, which included a wellness package and an executive coach costing up to $25,000 per year.
The addendum gives Liggins up to 20 vacation days per fiscal year. The wellness package says the superintendent shall submit to an annual physical examination of his choice and the district will pay the portion not covered by Liggins’ health insurance in a maximum sum of $5,000.
The board is not responsible for any additional treatment costs not covered by insurance. Liggins must provide the board with a written report from his examining physician that attests to his fitness to perform the job.
The report will be kept confidential except as required by law.
Under the addendum, the superintendent can, but is not obligated to, obtain the services of an executive coach on topics such as leadership and problem solving not to exceed $25,000 per year. The executive coach will not be an employee of Fayette County Public Schools.
In 2021, the Fayette County Public Schools board approved a four-year superintendent contract with Demetrus Liggins beginning July 26, 2021, with an annual base salary of $275,000.
The contract ran through June 30, 2025, and it set out terms of Liggins’ salary, benefits and other conditions of his employment.
The board approved an addendum at Thursday’s school board meeting, but didn’t release it until Friday afternoon. It was not attached to Thursday’s school board planning agenda in advance of the meeting as are most documents under consideration.
Prior to the vote at Thursday’s board planning meeting, district spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith said in response to a request from the Herald-Leader for the document, that “you can have it after it is approved. It may require closed session discussion so it is still in draft form until passed.”
After the approval, the district still didn’t release the addendum. Davidson-Smith said the addendum would be made public Friday, once it was signed by attorneys.
Board member Amanda Ferguson at the board meeting asked chairman Tyler Murphy why the document did not have to be shared publicly and asked him to clarify the process because people were asking questions.
Murphy said items discussed in closed board session could not be discussed in open session.
The specific language could be released once the board approves the addendum, Murphy said. Until then, he said it remained protected.
“We can say that as a board we recognize the pivotal role the superintendent plays in ensuring student success through managing the district on a day to day basis,” said Murphy.
“The contract addendum includes a wellness package and the wellness package has provisions for an annual medical examination, language on vacation days and the opportunity for the superintendent to engage with a professional coach,” he said.
A written public recap of the meeting released Thursday night said the addendum the board approved included a wellness package.
Murphy did not speak to the costs of the addendum or respond to questions in text messages from the Herald-Leader Thursday night.
