School Board approves superintendent's contract extension

CENTERVILLE -- The St. Mary Parish School Board on Thursday approved a two-year contract extension for Superintendent Dr. Buffy Fegenbush. The contract offers a 2% annual raise and includes what the board's president said are incentives other than salary while adding requirements called for in state law.
The board approved the contract by a 9-2 vote.
Fegenbush, a longtime Berwick High principal appointed superintendent in 2023, has been the target of social media criticism about micromanagement, low employee morale and the firing of a popular teacher over the posting of a student video. The district also improved its state performance score in 2023-24, maintaining a B grade and beating the statewide score.
Board members who wanted to offer Fegenbush the new contract won their battle Feb. 19, when the board agreed by an 8-3 vote to authorize board President Alaina Black and Vice President Tammie Moore to negotiate the new agreement.
The 2% annual raise comes on top of her current $142,800 annual salary. The contract also calls for the School Board to pay for Fegenbush's health insurance coverage rather than splitting the cost with her.
The contract requires her to be graded as "proficient" or higher on her annual evaluation, a change required by state law. A new requirement bases 30% of her evaluation on third-grade literacy and numeracy performance, also in line with new state rules.
She will also be required to take steps toward improving district and school performance scores, high school graduation rates, district ACT scores, the percentage of certified teachers, and morale and discipline in schools.
One item not in the contract provoked discussion Thursday.
Board member Marilyn LaSalle of Patterson asked why negotiators dropped a provision requiring superintendents to repay the board $10,000 if they leave the job before the end of their contracts, a requirement called liquidation damages. LaSalle said the school system has had to deal with an early departure in the past.
Fegenbush said she has no plans to leave.
"I've fought very hard for this position my whole career ...," Fegenbush said.
"I do make a public vow right now: Unless I have a true medical issue, I will not do as some people have done in the past and disappear for six months or more. I will be here until the last day my job contract says I should be here."
Black, of Morgan City, responded that Fegenbush has enough accumulated sick leave "to go out for a very long time" if she chooses.
LaSalle also asked why Fegenbush doesn't want to pay for a portion of health insurance.
"In order to even entice future superintendents," Black said, "we thought some incentive could be appealing despite not being able to offer such a high salary."
After Chad Paradee of Berwick moved to accept the contract, Ginger Griffin of Patterson sought an amendment restoring the liquidated damages provision. She also wanted to eliminate the language that requires to School Board to pay for all of Fegenbush's health coverage and another clause that would pay her for up to 10 days of accumulated leave at the end of each fiscal year rather than in a lump sum when she steps down.
The amendment failed, opening the door for the vote approving the contract. Black, Moore of Four Corners, Paradee, Rhonda Dennis and Andrew Mancuso of Morgan City, Debra Jones and Guienzy Brent of Franklin, Leslie Anslem of Bayou Vista, and Lawrence Guillory of Centerville voted in favor of the contract offer. LaSalle and Griffin voted no.