West Jefferson school board plans to renew assistant superintendent contracts

A majority of West Jefferson Hills School Board members agreed they plan to renew the contracts of the district’s two assistant superintendents.

Board members at their Jan. 28 meeting voted 7-0 with two abstentions to confirm their intent to keep Matthew Patterson as assistant superintendent for elementary education and Scott Milburn as assistant superintendent for secondary education. The two have worked in the district since 2017.

The terms of their contracts will be worked out over the next several months.

Board members Kimberley Finnerty and Kristin Shoemaker abstained.

At the meeting, Finnerty asked for the motion that was new to the agenda to be tabled to give board members more time to discuss.

“I just feel that based on the time that was given, I’d like to make sure that it’s done correctly,” she said.

District solicitor Robert McTiernan said that while school code requires school boards to give 90 days notice to assistant superintendents if they plan to keep them or to interview other candidates for their jobs, West Jefferson Hills’ contracts with Patterson and Milburn require the board to take that action 150 days in advance. That deadline is Jan. 30.

If the board failed to act by then, the two would automatically be given one year extensions on their current contracts, based on school code.

Board members in May 2017 approved three year contracts with the two, with start dates slated for July 1 that year. Patterson’s salary was set at $111,700 and Milburn’s salary was set at $128,300.

“It sounds like we probably need to pass this tonight,” board President Brian Fernandes said. “What I don’t want to do is not pass this intent piece and then the contract is inked for us. That takes away any ability to look at it.”

McTiernan said even with this action, board members can determine the length — either three or five years — and terms of the contracts.

Also at the meeting, board members voted 8-0 to enter into a contract with KU Resources Inc. for $20,200 to conduct a survey of the old Thomas Jefferson High School for hazardous materials. Finnerty abstained.

District leaders have said that prior to demolishing the old TJ, located at 310 Old Clairton Road, all hazardous materials including asbestos must be removed.

A company still is interested in salvaging the old school — even though the removal of hazardous materials and relocation of utilities has extended the timeline for demolition, leaders say.