Superintendent asks to delay contract vote

Superintendent Todd Bowden’s contract continues to be a divisive subject for the Sarasota County School Board — so much so that today, Bowden announced he has asked the board to delay any further discussions on the topic until later this year.

At a July 17 meeting, the School Board was split as it conducted Bowden’s annual evaluation. Bowden received an average score of 2.7 out of 5 from the board. Two members, Bridget Ziegler and Eric Robinson, each gave Bowden an overall score below 1.2. Two others, Jane Goodwin and Caroline Zucker, gave Bowden a score of 4 or higher.

Ultimately, a majority of the board voted to give Bowden a raise. The decision increased the superintendent’s 2017-18 salary by 2.75% and his 2018-19 salary by 3.75%.

That same majority — Goodwin, Zucker and Shirley Brown — also voted to hold a future discussion on whether to remove language from Bowden’s contract that allowed the board to fire him “without cause.” That proposal would limit the board’s leeway to terminate Bowden’s contract if it is unsatisfied with his performance.

Bowden’s critics have opposed the new contract language, which is set for discussion at Tuesday’s School Board meeting. Because of the controversy surrounding the proposal, Bowden said in a statement, he’s asking the board to postpone any decision until after the school year has started and School Board elections have taken place.

“The primary focus of time and energy should be on our students and teachers,” Bowden said in the statement. “Though there are a myriad of diverse opinions and methodologies among the current School Board members, I have confidence in their operational prowess and ability to rise above any divisive distractions.”

The District 1, 4 and 5 seats — currently held by Ziegler, Brown and Goodwin— are up for election this year. The first election will be held Aug. 28. Because there are four candidates in the District 5 race, a potential general election runoff would be held Nov. 6.

The agenda item for Tuesday’s School Board meeting also includes a proposal to extend Bowden’s contract from 2020 to 2022.