BOE Garren begin contract talks

Loudon County Board of Education and Mike Garren, interim director of schools, have taken a step toward finalizing a contract for a permanent role.

Board members and Garren met prior to a Thursday workshop to work through potential changes and review former director Jason Vance’s four-year contract. Plans are to vote on the changes at the Oct. 17 meeting and ask BOE attorney Chris McCarty to draw up a formalized contract for approval in November.

Items discussed included bumping Garren’s pay to $130,000, removing a no-transfer clause and adding a requirement that the director live inside the county. Garren is already a Loudon County resident.

“We’re in somewhat of an unusual situation since I’ve been serving as an interim director for several months now so they know how I’m doing and I’ve also got a contract with assistant director, which I could go back to if they chose to go in a different direction,” Garren said. “I just want to make sure that we’ve got a good smooth start. ... I’m just honored that they are considering me for this opportunity and I appreciate the support that they have shown me over the last few months,” he added.

If Garren were removed from the director position and assigned elsewhere, he would keep his current pay of about $108,000 through the remainder of his contract.

“I understand him wanting to protect himself to where he could at least go back to assistant salary pay,” William Jenkins, BOE member, said. “Myself, I’m personally for that, and I think it’ll all work and be good.”

Garren asked the board to consider making his contract effective July 1, which would allow for back compensation. Garren has been in the interim role since the board suspended Vance in June.

During the workshop, board member Kim Bridges showed hesitation with the requested $130,000 salary despite being in favor of Garren.

“I think that he’s been the wheels behind the operation for a very long time,” she said. “He may have been in the second seat, but knowing him and having been here, I believe that. With that being said, I think $130,000 is too much. When I look at what the data says that I have that I’ve pulled, I think that’s too much, with respect, because I do know that Mike is a very smart individual.”

Bobby Johnson Jr., board chairman, said the removal of the no-transfer clause is significant.

“I think it’s a win-win for both,” he said. “I think you take the tenure thing out, of course he’ll keep tenure, he’ll never lose it, but that gives us a chance so we can move without having to go through all this legal mess we went through last time.”

Garren has tenure even if not written in the contract.

“I know what we’ve got,” Johnson said. “I’ve been through two of these already and with (Wayne) Honeycutt it was kind of roll of the dice, see what you had. Jason (Vance), we knew what we got there because he worked with our system, and then with Mike we know what we got. The state tried to get him. They tried to hire him out from underneath us.

“I think Mike’s been a huge part of the reason why we’re going as well as we’re going,” he added. “He’ll come right in, have the supervisors that he knows and instructions, he knows the teachers and the principals, so we can keep going and probably grow what we got going on.”

Garren said he wants to retire from Loudon County Schools when the time is right. Johnson said that speaks volumes about the man.

“He wants to be here,” Johnson said. “He’s invested. His family’s here and everything. His wife’s involved in the system. That’s huge, when you’re invested here.”

Board member Kenny Ridings stressed the director should live inside the county.

“That was one of the biggest things that people have asked me on,” he said. “The prior director didn’t even live in this county. If you live where you work, you tend to handle things differently. Just like me being a police officer here in Loudon — I live here, lived here my whole life. I have to see these people when I go to Food City. It makes a difference. To me in my mind, it makes a difference.”