Proposed cuts in the budget include $730,000 from 13 teaching positions, a 10 percent reduction, or $163,000, from the instructional supply fund and $100,000 less for technology. Other cuts include $50,000 for contingency teaching staff and $20,000 for contingency teacher assistant staffing.
News Herald 5/8/19

Fast forward to the News Herald Story, BOE To Consider Vance Buyout.

Obviously, the school board thinks they have a serious financial problem suggesting they need to make over a million dollars in cuts but then some come up with the idea to buy out the director's contract? Are they serious?

At a minimum, the 3 year buyout would cost more than $500,000.00. Using the BOE math, that would require eliminating 10 more teachers.

So I understand it, school board members feel their in serious financial trouble, so their solution spend another half million dollars to buy out a director that some of them don't like anymore. I'm sorry, but that's about the strangest financial strategy I've ever heard, and they want the commission to give them more money?

If the school board has a financial crises, it's of their own making and it will be of their own making to correct it. But blowing a half million dollars to prove a point seems like an odd way to correct it.

Director Vance has 3 years left on his contract. He may or may not choose to stay those three years. In time, he may even fall back in favor with some of the board members. Who knows?

While it's painfully obvious that Director Vance has fallen out of favor with at least four board members and a number of citizens, spending a half million dollars just to satisfy a minority of the board and a number of citizens would be very expensive.

For nearly 10 years, Mr. Vance was well liked by the board with numerous, unanimous contract renewals and extensions. Vance's work in advancing Loudon County school's academic improvements and achievements was hailed by board members. Now that the political winds have changed, his support has waned, but I haven't actually heard anyone say the school system's academic achievements have waned.

Board members should think long and hard about spending another half million dollars they don't have.