Fox is the second top district administrator whose contract has not been renewed in 2023. The board nonrenewed Superintendent Mark Stefanik in January.
This means the school board will have to hire replacements for its top two day-to-day leaders — the only two who report directly to the board — in the coming months.
The board action came during its monthly meeting and followed a 4 1/2-hour closed executive session to discuss personnel issues and items requiring confidentiality under federal and state laws.
Board President Simon Patry and members Rick Mains and Amber Drum voted for the nonrenewal of Fox’s contract. Anne Zakkour and Theresa Dunaway voted ‘no.’
No board member commented on the vote. An email seeking comment from Patry was not answered as of midday Tuesday.
The board also voted to direct the posting of the treasurer’s job as soon as possible by Lisa Tuttle-Huff, the district’s human resources director.
Fox is being paid $90,900, annually, after a board vote in August to increase her pay by 1 percent.
In a job review at that time, the board said Fox shows a desire to get things right and a willingness to seek assistance and training to develop further in her position.
The board said it was concerned that Fox “may sometimes ‘think herself through answers out loud’ or provide a guess when she is unsure of the answer. The Board of Education does not expect Treasurer Fox to have all of the answers and would request that Treasurer Fox simply respond that she will have to look into a matter if she does not know the answer to a question posed.”
Fox, like Stefanik, will continue to work for the district until her contract expires this summer.
The board voted Jan. 4 to nonrenew the contract of Stefanik, after public and board outcry after a student threat at the middle school in December was not reported to the board.
The district advertised for the superintendent’s job and set a Feb. 13 deadline. This news organization has requested those applications from the district, but they had not been provided as of Tuesday afternoon.
While this leadership turnover occurs, two school board members also face a legal removal process through the Miami County Common Pleas Court. The Tipp City Concerned Citizens is seeking removal of Dunaway and Zakkour, claiming those board members engaged in inappropriate conduct. The board members argue they did nothing improper.
A trial in that case is scheduled for Oct. 23.
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