Birmingham City Schools Board of Education terminated the employment of Superintendent Kelley Castlin-Gacutan Thursday evening in a 6-3 vote.

Board member April Williams introduced the motion, which was seconded by Cheri Gardner at the start of the continuation of Tuesday night's special called meeting.

Tonight's vote served as Castlin-Gacutan's 60 days notice of termination, per her employment contract. For those last 60 days, though, she will be on paid administrative leave.

Castlin-Gacutan was terminated without cause, school board attorney Afrika Parchman said, and referred reporters to the superintendent's contract as to the terms of Castlin-Gacutan's severance package.

According to the contract, the school system will have to pay out Castlin-Gacutan's remaining compensation and benefits, which could total more than $400,000 for the next two years.

The money will be dispersed on a monthly basis and not a lump sum.

Parchman said Castlin-Gacutan's severance package will be reduced if she obtains a similar position within the next two years.

Castlin-Gacutan, a native of Hueytown, started as Birmingham City Schools superintendent on July 1, 2015. Her contract was set to expire on June 30, 2018.

Castlin-Gacutan was being paid $202,000 a year, plus travel and in-town expenses and a technology allowance.

She didn't attend tonight's meeting.

Larry Contri, director of schools for zone four, was named interim superintendent. He has worked at the school system for 40 years.

Board member Daagye Hendricks said Castlin-Gacutan was fired because she was making decisions that weren't fiscally responsible.

"We have to be accountable for that," she said.

Hendricks said the school system spent $2.5 million on a new reading initiative based on the superintendent's recommendations, but students haven't received their new books. She also said the superintendent was making large expenditures without the board's approval.

Board member Randall Woodfin spoke out against Castlin-Gacutan's termination before the vote was taken. He said to terminate the superintendent after only one year of employment is an embarrassment.

"The superintendent has been here one year," Woodfin said. "We just gave her evaluation last month and she met expectations. We just approved her strategic plan -- our strategic plan that she led us on - last week. So we agreed to her vision. We agreed to the direction she wanted to take us in.

"This school year just started, and we are going to terminate her without cause," he continued. "That is inappropriate. That is wrong."

Woodfin accused board members of terminating Castlin-Gacutan because she didn't listen to their personnel recommendations and due to "brick and mortar issues." He said some board members can't look past their districts and see the school system as a whole.

Board Vice President Lyord Watson said firing the superintendent will cause the school system to start back at zero, in terms of moving education forward.

The following board members voted for Castlin-Gacutan's firing: Williams, Gardner, Hendricks, Sandra Brown, Sherman Collins Jr. and board President Wardine Alexander.

Brian Giattina, Watson and Woodfin voted against termination.

Castlin-Gacutan came under fire last week when board members expressed concern over large sums of money being spent without board approval.

During the Sept. 13 meeting, the board was asked to approve an $83,000 expenditure for construction work already completed at the former Wells Fargo building on First Avenue North, which was purchased by the board in 2012.

According to state law, the superintendent must seek board approval for expenditures over $50,000.

Board members Hendricks and Williams both questioned who approved the $83,000 expenditure. They said the board is being put on the hook for work they didn't approve.

"It has definitely been a money pit for lack of better words," Williams said during the meeting, of the Wells Fargo building. She said the board hasn't been kept up to date on the status of the renovations and what is being spent.

Sharon Roberts, chief financial officer for the school district, said during last week's meeting that the $83,000 sum and other expenditures for the Wells Fargo building weren't initiated by Castlin-Gacutan's administration.

Hendricks told AL.com that the paperwork presented to the board last week showed the work was approved during Castlin-Gacutan's tenure.

Ronald Jackson, executive director of the Citizens for Better Schools, sought to have Castlin-Gacutan fired for violating state law and insubordination for spending money without board approval.

"We feel that this act of insubordination is official grounds to terminate her contract, and that is what we hope will happen tonight," he said, prior to the meeting.

Birmingham American Federation of Teachers leadership also supported Castlin-Gacutan's termination.

Parent Juliet Easlick launched an online petition supporting Castlin-Gacutan and attended Thursday night's meeting in support of the superintendent.

Easlick wrote that Castlin-Gacutan's job performance was deemed satisfactory during an August evaluation.

"One year of working in the district after much turmoil where there is a historical lack of parental and community investment, a population of extreme poverty and a long history of micromanagement by the previous BOE where all but two were voted out," Easlick wrote. "It is absurd to think that anyone could control all of those factors and magically turn that history around in one year.

"Firing Dr. G is not only unwarranted, it is irresponsible," she continued.

The petition has received 41 signatures as of Thursday afternoon.

Donna Thomas, president of the Birmingham Council of PTA, called the board's decision to fire the superintendent "sad.

"Our children are the ones who will suffer," she said.

Before the meeting, Thomas hoped that the board wouldn't rush to judgment.

Castlin-Gacutan has worked in education since 1991, serving as a teacher, an assistant principal, principal and administrator.

Before starting her post in Birmingham, she briefly served as interim superintendent of the Bibb County School system in Macon, Georgia.

Castlin-Gacutan has a bachelor's degree from Tennessee State University, a master's degree in education from Brenau University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.