Allison Ross

@allisonSross





Donna Hargens is leaving her post as superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools.

On Thursday evening, the Jefferson County Board of Education struck an agreement with Hargens that calls for her to exit as the head of the district at the end of this school year, effective July 1.

The move had been anticipated for months. It came during a special meeting scheduled in large part so the board could have an executive session to have a deliberation that "might lead to the dismissal of an individual employee."

As part of the agreement, Hargens will continue to earn her salary, which is $276,000 a year, until her resignation, and the board also will contribute $60,000 to a tax-deferred annuity plan or another investment plan for her.

In addition, the board agreed to pay Hargens $48,000 cash in lieu of what she would have received in healthcare benefits through June 30, 2019, which is when her contract was originally slated to conclude. And it will pay Hargens for up to 90 accumulated unused sick days, at a discounted rate, and for up to 60 accumulated vacation days.

More on Hargens' resignation

Reaction to Donna Hargens' resignation as JCPS superintendent

Key moments at JCPS during Donna Hargens' tenure

All told, Hargens could end up with up to about $200,000 in deferred annuity, sick and vacation payouts and cash for healthcare benefits under the agreed-upon plan.

It's likely now that the school board will begin looking for an interim superintendent to step in as it looks for Hargens' permanent replacement. The board did not immediately name any top contenders Thursday evening.

"Although Dr. Hargens regrets that her approach to implementing the strategic plan for JCPS no longer aligns with the board's approach, she is grateful for the experience of having provided leadership for the school district for the past six years," board chairman Chris Brady said, reading from a prepared statement.

The board, which voted unanimously for the new contract, thanked Hargens for her service and said it now "intends to move forward with a sense of urgency to find a successor to the superintendent, and to take actions that will continue to improve the education that it provides for all children of Jefferson County."

Hargens is in her sixth year overseeing the state's largest school district, having come in 2011 from North Carolina, where she worked as a chief academic officer and an interim superintendent.

The contract that was approved Thursday would have Hargens remain "reasonably accessible" through June 30, 2018, for consultations. It also gives Hargens seven days to decide if she wants to revoke the agreement.

Hargens' relationship with the seven-member JCPS board became more strained in recent months after the board added two members who had stated on the campaign trail that it was time for new leadership.

More: History of JCPS superintendents

The relationship between Hargens and the board also became more tense after the Kentucky Department of Education announced it was launching a full-blown management audit of JCPS, which could end with the state taking over the district.

Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt on Thursday evening thanked Hargens for her service to JCPS and wished her well.

Pruitt said the management audit was not about any one person in JCPS, saying that his department "looks forward to working closely with JCPS interim leadership, the board of education, educators and others – including the eventual new superintendent – as we continue with this work. KDE seeks to ensure all JCPS students receive a world-class education that will prepare them for success in their postsecondary endeavors."

Hargens did not always have a smooth relationship with the board even before the latest election. Last June, she received a less-than-stellar annual performance review from the board, which in part noted "little or no progress" toward building a better internal culture and atmosphere of trust in the district. It said the district had made important accomplishments under her guidance but that there also had been "obvious mistakes and omissions."

That review came after massive protests by teachers and others in Jefferson County over concerns about suggested code of conduct and salary changes in the district.

Previous Coverage

►Audit puts more pressure on Hargens

►Key findings that led to JCPS management audit

►JCPS superintendent faces uncertain times

►Evaluation: JCPS’ Hargens made ‘mistakes’

►Survey: Staff support for Hargens drops to 50%

Brent McKim, president of the county's teachers union, said Thursday that his union respects the school board's decision.

"Certainly, based on teachers' responses on recent district surveys, there has been a significant erosion in educators' confidence in the district's leadership," McKim said.

Hargens also was criticized for what some said were last-minute decisions in the opening of some new schools and programs, such as the alternative school Minor Daniels Academy, that led to rocky starts for those initiatives. And questions about student behavior and the use of suspensions have also been major points of concern in the 100,000-plus-student district, which this school year is seeing a higher number of suspensions than it has in years.

Hargens was in her second four-year contract with JCPS, the 28th-largest school district in the country. That contract was approved on a 6-1 vote, with board member Linda Duncan dissenting. Duncan at the time said a two-year contract would have been better so the board could see if changes Hargens was making were working.

Hargens' time with JCPS has actually exceeded the average tenure of superintendents of urban school districts, which in 2014 averaged about 3.2 years, according to a survey conducted by the Council of Great City Schools.

During her tenure, JCPS saw its high school graduation rate rise to its highest level. Hargens trimmed and restructured the district's central office, added mental health counselors to some schools and she oversaw the opening of Norton Commons Elementary, the first new JCPS school building since 2008. But continued academic problems dogged the district, with more schools slipping into the dreaded priority status under her watch and a wide achievement gap continuing to plague the district.

And the past year has also brought to light significant issues with the use of restraint on students, including incidents where students were severely injured by staff members. In March 2016, the Courier-Journal uncovered that JCPS had not correctly reported thousands of times when students were restrained by staff — and that JCPS had known about the data discrepancy since at least the previous school year.

"It is always an unfortunate situation when a superintendent that has worked so diligently on behalf of the students, staff, and community determines it is time to end their service to the district for whatever reason," Tom Shelton, Executive Director, Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, said in a statement. "In order for a superintendent to continue to be successful, they need full support from their constituencies. We wish Dr. Hargens and the Jefferson County Schools the best through this transition."

Parent Rob Mattheu, whose daughter attends duPont Manual High and who had publicly called for Hargens' ouster a few months ago, said he hopes this move will lead to some positive changes in JCPS, and said he hopes that the person the board chooses for the superintendent role "is a more vocal voice for teachers, parents and students."

Sam Corbett, executive director of the Jefferson County Public Education Foundation, said Thursday's agreement was not a surprise and that the agreement appeared to be the best solution given the situation. He said Hargens served the district well during her six-year tenure.

Corbett said that superintendent recruitments and searches are generally conducted in the spring, so JCPS may have missed a good window to find a new superintendent. He said it's likely JCPS will have an interim for nearly a year given the timing.

"This is a great opportunity to reach out to the community and talk about what they feel the most important attributes are in a superintendent," Corbett said.

Reporter Allison Ross can be reached at (502) 582-4241. Follow the Courier-Journal's education team at Facebook.com/SchooledCJ.

Here's a copy of the agreement

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