HAMILTON COUNTY, TN (WRCB) -- Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Scales has agreed to accept a buyout.
His contract doesn't expire until July 2012. Scales says he will step down at the end of the school year, as long as he's paid through his contract. Many say Dr. Scales' downfall can be traced to the 2010 School Board elections, when Janice Boydston, a longtime Scales supporter stepped down, and Joe Galloway was elected to replace her as the District 6 representative. Scales no longer had an automatic majority of five votes on the board. And when Scales proposed a central office shakeup last month, it was the last straw for some.
"I think it was going to end up costing us money in the long run because he was piling so much work on some people they couldn't possibly do it. We were going to have to end up hiring some more people which I think would have been even worse," says Rhonda Thurman, who represents District 1.
District 2 Board Member Chip Baker, who supports Scales, has some concerns about the buyout, which could end up costing the school district in excess of $250,000.
"I have no idea where the money's coming from," says Baker. "I think most important thing for us to do right now is to be focused on a $14 million deficit and our budget."
As for allegations of backroom politics, some board members say nothing could be further from the truth. Thurman says the previous board's 4 year contract extension for Scales in 2008, passed by a narrow 5-4 vote, was a better example of behind-the scenes maneuvering.
"Had that not happened, had they not gone behind the scenes and tried to protect their good old boys we wouldn't be in this situation right now. I think it's a little bit hypocritical for them to be talking about us," says Thurman.
What happens next? No one's for sure, but most board members say they're in no mood for a nationwide search for Scales' replacement. They say Hamilton County's next school leader will be from within the local ranks.
"I don't want to go searching all over the country again. I'm not for it. I think it's a bad move at this time. I don't think the community wants it and I'm not going to do it," says District 8 representative David Testerman.
Deputy Supt. Rick Smith, whose job would have been eliminated in Dr. Scales' proposed budget, is the front-runner to succeed him. He has worked in the school district for 28 years.
Board members say they don't yet know if the next superintendent they hire will be on a one-year interim basis, or a long-term contract. A meeting to discuss the issue has been set for May 26.
