School board clarifies: panel approved rollover, addendum to superintendent’s contract

Calvin Watts. FILE PHOTO

Calvin Watts. FILE PHOTO

The Kent School District Board of Directors approved a rollover and addendum to Superintendent Calvin Watts’ contract – not an extension – according to a statement board president Maya Vengadasalam released on the district’s website.

The superintendent’s contract and addendum was approved at the board meeting Wednesday.

Watts’ contract, which automatically rolled over on July 1, renews for three years to 2021.

Vengadasalam and the school board released five points intended to provide clarification of the approval of the superintendent’s contract and addendum:

• The contract document file on BoardDocs was a “draft” document and was posted in error.

• The “draft” contract document erroneously indicated “July 1, 2019” as the written notice date for renewal of last year’s contract, and should have read “July 1, 2018.” The contract that Watts actually signed included the correct date (July 1, 2018) as the written notice.

• Watts’ previously signed contract also incorrectly stated “2019-2020” as the date by which the board shall affirmatively renew the contract. The contract should have read the board shall affirmatively renew the contract for “2020-2021” as the correct date.

• Per contract language, the extension of Watts’ contract automatically rolled over on “July 1, 2018.” Due to this fact, the board was not voting on a contract extension because Watts’ contract had already rolled over.

• All information on the current addendum is accurate.

“On behalf of the Kent School Board, I accept full responsibility for the confusion this may have caused,” Vengadasalam wrote in the statement.


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