Cary Dist. 26 extends superintendent contract

The Cary Elementary District 26 school board has renewed the contract for Superintendent Brian Coleman, extending his term through June 2016.

School board members unanimously approved the new contract during Monday’s board meeting, citing Coleman’s performance during the district’s recent financial challenges.

“Mr. Coleman has provided the leadership and stability this district needs in order to move forward,” school board President Chris Spoerl said in a news release. “The board feels that the contract provided to Mr. Coleman is comparable and competitive with similar superintendent positions in the area.”

The contract maintains a salary freeze of $147,500 in the first year, with subsequent salaries tied to the Consumer Price Index, a district news release says. It is the third year in a row that Coleman has taken a salary freeze.

In addition, Coleman took a 10 percent cut to his insurance coverage.

“I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to continue to serve as superintendent in my own community,” Coleman said in a news release. “It is a difficult time financially for school districts and we still have some challenges to face, but I am positive we are headed in the right direction.”

Coleman, who began his career in District 26 as a science teacher at Cary Junior High, said in a news release that his goal for the district is to provide a quality education while staying on budget.

“The district cannot return to years of spending more than it takes in,” Coleman said. “We must move forward conservatively, remaining within the limits of our budgets while focusing on core academic areas.”

In recent months, the district has approved $2.1 million in reductions, including the closure of a middle school. The board is striving to trim $5.5 million from its budget over the next four years.

It also approved contracts for the rest of the administrative team, including central office administrators and building principals, a news release says. The administrators also agreed to a pay freeze for a third year in a row and will remain on a single-year contract for the 2011-2012 school year.