Decatur school board divided on superintendent’s resignation agreement
The Decatur school board voted 4-3 Sunday night to approve a separation agreement with superintendent Joseph Coburn.
Chris Lowery, Melonie Christian, Dylan Barnes and board president Thomas Houchin voted to approve the “separation and release” agreement, while Jennifer Wren, Marsha Hafer and Kristy Campbell voted against it.
The Star-Telegram on Monday obtained a copy of the resignation agreement from the school district.
Coburn will receive his full salary and benefits until Aug. 31, when his resignation takes effect.
The agreement also says that Coburn cannot sue the district, but he can file a charge or complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.
The board named Ann Dixon as interim superintendent. Dixon has been an interim superintendent in several school districts, including Montgomery County last year.
Coburn, who joined the district from Lewisville in 2019, will receive $50,000 from the district’s general fund, said Sally Rodgers, the district’s spokesperson. Coburn declined to comment.
Coburn’s departure comes a week after the board met for almost six hours in a closed session to discuss his employment status. The board voted to take action on what was discussed in the closed session but did not provide information to the public on what it voted to do.
In June, the board voted 4-1 on a separation agreement with football coach and athletic director Mike Fuller.
Coburn’s employment status became an issue in May when the school board discussed a possible separation agreement, but no action was taken after a four-hour executive session.
Coburn told the Star-Telegram at the time that when there are board elections and “significant” turnover on the board, trustees have an obligation to their community to set a vision for their schools which aligns with those who elected them.
He described how the school board and superintendent work together as a “team of eight,” and that they were in a much stronger position following the May 11 meeting.
Earlier this spring, removing the mask mandate became a hot topic of conversation in the Wise County school district of around 3,450 students, and in April, the board voted to make wearing masks voluntary for staff and students.
This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 2:32 PM.