NSB agrees to freeze superintendent’s salary

ROSSTON – Nevada Superintendent Rick McAfee asked the Nevada School Board, at its May meeting Thursday night, to freeze his salary at the 2018-19 level and not give him a raise.

This isn’t the first time McAfee has done this. He reminded the board it’s approved contracts for the 2019-20 school year, but didn’t address the salary increases the state is now requiring. “This is something I’d like to have done,” he told the board about freezing his salary. The board agreed.

McAfee and the board agreed the year ended well and the graduates did a tremendous job during their commencement exercises. He said their speeches showed they’d been thinking about the future. He pointed out what the transfer students said about feeling safe at Nevada during the graduation says a lot and is due to decisions the board makes.

The board wasted no time in approving professional development for staff for the summer and next year. It also approved the school improvement plan as required by the state. The plan includes using chromebooks for grades 3-12, the grades tested, and incorporating technology while finding specialists to work with the teachers and students to improve math and reading scores. McAfee said the scores have improved but aren’t where the district wants them to be.

The board also approved the special education assurances and agreements for next year, also as required by the state. McAfee said this is “pass through” money the district spends and is reimbursed by the federal government. He reminded the panel this agreement requires the district to spend at least as much next year as it did this past year on special education.

The 2018-19 school calendar was amended to reflect the last day of school was May 28. This was done as there was no school on May 9 as the day was declared a school holiday for graduation. By extending the year to May 28, the district met the minimum days required by the state.

It was also agreed to removed the fixed assets from the inventory that are out of date or simply no longer working.

In personnel, the board accepted the resignation of Morgan Stone and Carrie Means. Stone was a kindergarten teacher while Means taught seventh and eighth grade social studies. McAfee told the board there aren’t enough students in kindergarten for two classes, so one teacher can handle them all.

The board hired Jennifer DeLoach as a new second grade teacher, Shelby Pinson for middle school math and Aspen Heard for high school special education.