Pleasant Valley School Board’s idea for a new contract with the superintendent has had some twists and turns in 2024.

On Nov. 25, residents came out in abundance to state their dissatisfaction with the school district’s plan to dissolve its contract with Superintendent James Konrad, Ed.D., in order to offer him a new five-year contract with a pay increase to $215,000 per year. The new contract included annual pay increases and two longevity bonuses.

This follows a 4% pay raise in August for both Konrad and Assistant Superintendent Rae Lyn Howard, and $2,000 longevity bonuses in January.

The school board removed the new contract from the agenda and Konrad’s required resignation, which solicitor Mark Fitzgerald said was needed in order to dissolve the old contract. Fitzgerald was absent from the meeting held the week of Thanksgiving, but explained the situation at the school board’s reorganization meeting in December.

“Dr. Konrad, unlike anybody else in this district, comes not just with an employment contract but a commission to the state. And if the district were to enter into a new contracting commission with him, he would have effectively have to resign his current commission. And that was the intent of the multiple action items for the 25th — a resignation from the current commission in contract to be then reappointed to a new five-year contract and commission. That’s why they were connected together,” Fitzgerald said.

Since the new contract has not been approved, the resignation needed for it is also not approved. Konrad remains the superintendent, just as he was before the new contract came up. His current contract will expire in December 2026.

School board President Susan Kresge said at both of those meetings that there would be a presentation about why the school board was offering this new contract. But the year is coming to a close and the meeting has not been scheduled yet.

Director Michael Galler said at the reorganization meeting that he no longer supports offering the new contract, but instead wants to stay with the current contract.