Dronebarger to Lead Schools Through 2030

The White County Board of Education approved a new agreement Thursday night that will keep Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger leading the district in the years ahead.

The decision came as board members discussed the direction of White County Schools, recent accomplishments within the district, and the importance of maintaining consistency in leadership.

Board Chairman Bob Young said the decision was connected to the district’s performance and the results seen throughout the school system in recent years.

The new four-year contract extends Dronebarger’s leadership through June 2030. Young pointed to White County Schools being one of only 22 districts in Tennessee to receive a $1 million high-performance bonus from the state as an example of the progress made under Dronebarger’s leadership.

“To me, I think that’s worthy of some type of acknowledgment and if it’s not financial compensation, contract extension in my opinion would be in order,” Young said. “It’s called rewarding results.”

The approval does not add additional compensation or benefit changes for Dronebarger. Instead, board members said the new contract provides consistency and recognizes the direction of the district.

“Nobody likes working year to year, and I’m about halfway through this contract so I’m quite happy where I am right now and happy with the direction the district is going,” Dronebarger said about getting a new contract that would provide him with stability. “I certainly don’t take credit for all the success we’ve had, but I’m certainly proud of the accomplishments we’ve had in our school district and be glad to lead our district moving forward.”

While discussed as a contract extension, Young explained the board recently learned through legal consultation that director agreements are not technically extended. Instead, the board needed to approve a new contract that would refelct the desired term to replace the existing one.

The new agreement also updates language from the previous contract. A provision that automatically added an additional year following a satisfactory evaluation was removed, and the compensation section was clarified to define “meeting expectations” as earning a composite score of 3.0 or higher on the director’s annual evaluation.

School Board Member Jayson McDonald said the current board’s involvement with Dronebarger’s previous contract and evaluations made this the appropriate time to address the agreement.

“I think it’s a good idea because this board has worked with him in this four-year term that he’s in now and been very involved with his contract and with his evaluation,” McDonald explained that continuity was the reasoning behind the decision. “I appreciate your leadership over the last nine years that I’ve got to work with you.”

Dronebarger said one change he supported was moving the contract’s end date from December 31 to June 30, explaining that the new timeline better aligns with the school year. He also said he was not seeking additional compensation during the process.

“I’m not really asking for more any more compensation. I’m certainly not asking for any financial compensation, and I think I get adequate vacation days,” Dronebarger said. “I don’t use all of them that I have now anyway.”

The new contract keeps the compensation the same and simply moves the exipration deadline to June 30, 2030.

The board also completed its annual election of officers during the meeting. Young will continue serving as chairman after being re-elected by acclamation. John Smith was elected vice chairman, and Lisa Officer was selected as the board’s Tennessee Legislative Network representative.