WBCSD postpones decision on Durst contract

PRIEST RIVER — After a four-hour raucous special meeting Monday, West Bonner County School District trustees ended up not making a decision regarding Branden Durst’s superintendent contract.

Instead, the board will hold another special meeting at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday to review and vote on Durst’s revised contract. Board members will also potentially revisit their decision to hire Durst as superintendent.

By the time the meeting was over, the original contract addendum was almost unrecognizable as a majority of its sections were either altered, changed or removed. The original addendum sections included, but were not limited to, Durst’s salary, paid leave, work schedule, leasing or procuring a vehicle for the superintendent for professional use — this was changed to a mileage reimbursement — and Durst’s deadline to obtain an emergency provisional certificate approved by the State Board of Education.

The second draft was finished up by just three board members. Susan Brown and Troy Reinbold decided they had enough and left the meeting at approximately 9:13 p.m. The two left without comment and audience members questioned their commitment to the school district. The meeting concluded about an hour later.

Some of the biggest changes to the contract addendum were as follows:

• Durst’s vacation days were reduced from 20 to 15 days after comparing other local superintendent contracts from Orofino and Bonners Ferry. In addition, Durst will not be allowed to take more than five consecutive vacation days.

• Durst’s proposed housing allowance of $500 a month was eliminated.

• A $2,000 moving cost reimbursement was eliminated.

• Durst will not be offered free meals at any of the schools he attends. In the first draft of the contract, it was stated that he would be receiving free meals.

• The draft contract also stipulated the district must provide legal counsel for the superintendent’s spouse. This was eliminated.

• Instead of procuring or leasing a vehicle that is no more than 10 years old for the superintendent to use for personal or official business, Durst will be offered mileage reimbursement on his own vehicle.

• The board struck a line stating that the district would have to pay half of the superintendent’s monthly Public Employees Retirement System of Idaho contribution.

• The contract no longer states Durst is eligible to work remotely during non-instructional periods.

• The board cut a provision that stated Durst would receive a term life insurance policy with the pay-off benefit equal to the base annual salary of the superintendent.

• Durst must receive his emergency provisional certification by June 21 and it must be approved by the State Board of Education. If he fails to acquire the certificate, his contract will be voided.

• It is now no longer a requirement for a supermajority of trustees to terminate the contract.

The first draft of the contract had some unusual benefits listed. Of most concern to audience members were the free meals, the vehicle, the housing allowance and the required supermajority to terminate the contract.

“Feed him and not the kids?” one community member shouted from the audience.

“Why don’t we use some of the money we would be potentially wasting here for athletics?” another said during another back-and-forth exchange despite the board making clear no public comment would be taken.

“You never fight for our children,” someone yelled out.

Community members, on top of their frustrations with the contract, were also frustrated with the fact that they did not receive email responses about their questions and concerns regarding the contract and with Durst’s qualifications. Even though interim superintendent Susan Luckey and Durst are both not qualified to become superintendent immediately, many community members believe that Luckey is more qualified to pursue those qualifications.

The emergency provisional certification to become a superintendent is only valid for one year. The approval process can be found on Idaho.gov via the SBOE Emergency Provisional Application Packet. Community members stated at the meeting that they did not believe the odds are favorable regarding Durst’s ability to obtain the certification.

Another large source of contention was Durst’s proposed salary of $105,000. According to the school’s salary schedule, a certified first-year superintendent qualifies for a $97,000 salary. Board members seemed to be unsure of how exactly the proposed salary came about. Durst’s salary in the new contract is set to go strictly off the salary schedule.

Since the contract was changed drastically, board members decided that it was not in their best interest to vote on it Monday night, but instead chose to wait until a revised version was available for everyone to read, including the public. The contract is expected to be posted on the district website prior to the Wednesday board meeting.

“Thank you for actually listening to us,” a community member said to the board. “We really do appreciate it.”