Superintendent Marsden contract to be discussed Monday, March 11

Based on the agenda for the Medfield School Committee meeting on Monday, March 11, the contract for Superintendent Jeffrey Marsden is slated for discussion even though it does not expire until June 30, 2021.

So why on the agenda so far in advance? It's unclear. If the most recent superintendent evaluation is any indication, performance doesn't seem to be in question. Massachusetts Association of School Committees sheds some light in its contracting guide:

• The law limits a contract to six years; typical superintendent contracts are three years.
• Contracts can be re-opened for any purpose, including for an extension, salary adjustments and/or other benefits or "economic provisions."
• Contract language should specify "milestones" for which salary and compensation packages will be negotiated, and state the overall purpose and process for re-opening a contract.

In early 2013, Marsden was one of two final candidates brought forth by a search committee. He was hired as Medfield Public School Superintendent in April that year with a three-year contract and a salary of $195,000. His contract was renewed for five years in April 2016, and a 2.5% annual increase was locked in, plus a new $5,000 annual retirement contribution. Marsden's current salary is $224,945 for fiscal-year 2019 based on his contract. (A 2% increase in Medfield teacher pay is factored into the FY20 school budget.)

Current school committee members who served on the superintendent search committee are Chris Morrison and Anna Mae O'Shea Brooke. The March 11 meeting will be the last for Morrison, who is not running for re-election.

Using 2017 data from Openthebooks.com obtained from Freedom of Information Act requests (causing a slight shift in numbers using calendar-year data), here's how Medfield superintendent pay stacks up against comparable districts:

A selection of base salaries in 2017 for other public positions:

Interested citizens can attend the March 11 School Committee meeting in the Medfield High School library to learn more. The committee meets in executive session at 7 p.m.; the regular meeting is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Also on the agenda under "Old Business" is the topic of bus fees, as well as updates on the proposed FY20 budgets. Click here to watch the Medfield.TV tape of the bus fee discussion at the Feb. 11, 2019 meeting. Bus fees implemented in other districts range from $125-521 per student based on a 2016 Framingham Patch article.