The Hillsborough County School Board approved a two-year contract for new superintendent Jeff Eakins today that will pay him $225,000 annually beginning July 1, and then must be approved by the board on an annual basis beginning in 2018.
The audience at the school board meeting erupted in cheers after his contract was unanimously 7-0 by the board. The 49-year-old Eakins had been serving as the deputy superintendent prior to the board selecting him to succeed MaryEllen Elia back in March. He was approved on a 4-3 vote at the time, with several board members believing that the search should be expanded beyond reaching out to Eakins, who was already serving as interim superintendent after the board stunningly fired Elia in January.
“This is kind of a dream come true,” a visably emotional Eakins said in addressing the audience, which included his wife and parents, who traveled from Ohio to be a part of proceedings.”Everyday I will never forget where I came from, and everybody that has served me throughout my career.”
School board member Melissa Snively was on the losing end of the vote in March to extend the search to replace Elia to go national. But she said today that she had been “overwhelmed by the positive feedback” she has subsequently heard about Eakins from officials within the district. “That was very impressive,” she admitted, adding that she was “ecstatic that this board can come together as a whole and agree that we have a leaders who are ready to put the students first and put fun back the classroom.”
“I believe Mr Eakins is the right person for the job at this moment in time,” agreed school board member April Griffin, who has faced intense criticism for leading the charge to oust Elia back in January. Griffin added that she was happy the the contract for Eakins was “nothing like the last one,” referring to Elia’s deal with the district.
That deal was a three-contract that rolled over for an additional year annually with at least a satisfactory job evaluation. Such arrangements are no longer allowed under state law.
She was paid more than $270,000 a year, including bonuses that are tied to student performance. Eakins $225,000 salary contains no bonuses. It runs from July 1 of this year to June 30, 2017. There is no automatic renewal, every board beginning in June of 2018 will decide his fate for the coming year. He can be fired with cause and receive no severance. Without cause, he is entitled to receive 10 weeks of severance pay.
