Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, April 18, 2012
Superintendent contract finalized, signed
By Megan Harris
In a unanimous vote, the Daviess County Public Schools Board of Education approved the contract of new superintendent Owens Saylor, who was chosen in March to lead the district through 2016.
Saylor, deputy superintendent in Jessamine County, will take over July 1 with a gross salary of $145,000, benefits, a company car and reimbursement for expenses incurred while relocating from Jessamine to Daviess County.
After signing his contract, board members and Interim Superintendent Mike Gray pulled Saylor aside to recommend their favorite neighborhoods and developments. Saylor planned to tour the area with his wife Tuesday afternoon to begin the planning process. The pair expect to move in late June.
Board Chairman Frank Riney, III, and attorney Jacinta Porter hammered out the four-year contract from models of those signed by former superintendents Tom Shelton and Stu Silberman.
During negotiations, Saylor told board members he hoped to know whether his contract would be extended no later than Feb, 1, 2016, to which they agreed. Saylor will also be subject to job performance and compensation reviews no later than April 1 of each year.
"Obviously any time you do something in education, you plan five months ahead or more, so his request felt perfectly reasonable," Riney said Tuesday. "He's going to know through his reviews how we feel about his abilities long before that day arrives."
The opportunity to work in Daviess County was the highest reward, Saylor said.
"It's a big job with big expectations," Saylor said. "Absolutely I'm excited. I can't wait to get started."