Should Johnston Schools Run Background Check on Superintendent?

Johnston superintendent Clay Guthmiller isn't leaving the district anytime soon.

On Monday, the Board of Education approved a new with Guthmiller.

The new contract, which is effective from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2014, and includes a 3.25 percent raise, bringing his annual salary to $186,993 for 260 work days.

Board member John Dutcher was the only member to oppose the contract.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dutcher tried to remove the contract from discussion at the meeting.

Board member Julie Walters asked why the discussion was not happening in closed session.

Board president Marci Cordaro said that a number of the items related to the contract could be discussed at the public meeting.

During the discussion, Dutcher asked several questions regarding the contract's clauses on notice of termination, each of which is dictated by the Iowa Code.

Dutcher questioned the district's policy for background checks, which are only done at the time of hire.

"So we don't have a current one?," he asked staff.

Guthmiller asked Dutcher if there was a question to whether he had been unethical in the past.

Dutcher said he was wondering if maybe it needed to be a broader discussion on background checks throughout the district.

"We sometimes have employees here for 20 years and if they do something out of state we might not know about it," he said.

Associate superintendent Jim Casey said the district has a policy that employees, if convicted of a felony, must report it to the administration.

"There are individuals that have lost their jobs because of that," he said. "We've had to make tough decisions."

Board member Greg Dockum said it would be highly unusual to perform a background check on long tenured employees. Guthmiller was hired by the district in 2006.

The board voted 5-1 to accept the contract with Dutcher in opposition and board member Mike Farrel absent from the meeting. 

Guthmiller's new contract includes paid holidays provided by the district calendar, 20 days of paid vacation, 15 days of paid sick leave, and two personal days per year.