By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Hillsborough school board members in June approved a contract extension for Addision Davis, superintendent of the Hillsborough County School District, who is set to receive a base annual salary of $310,000 through June 2027.
“This was truly one of the most challenging times our educational system has ever experienced,” said school board chair Nadia Combs, in prepared remarks. “Superintendent Davis is just hitting his stride as we move forward from the pandemic. Our community needs a strong leader with new, bold ideas to serve students and families in one of the largest school districts in the nation.”
Davis said he was “humbled to be a part of a diverse Tampa Bay community that continually places children as our greatest priority.”
Hired at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, Davis started leading the district in March 2020, eventually securing an initial contract with a base salary of $310,000, which was $85,000 more than the base salary of his predecessor, Jeff Eakins.
While Davis was a newcomer to Hillsborough County, Eakins retired from the system with more than 30 years of employment. Eakins was named superintendent in 2015 following the ouster of Mary Ellen Elia, who had a rocky relationship with the board.
Elia was fired by a divided board in January 2015, one month after she was named superintendent of the year at a meeting of the American Association of School Administrators. The ouster cost taxpayers more than $1 million in salary, benefits and unused sick and vacation time, according to news reports based on school district numbers, as Elia had more than two years left on her contract.
School board attorney Jim Porter eluded to those divisive times at the June 21 school board meeting, when he discussed termination details in Davis’ contract, and that “in the past, there was a much higher payout” and the “historical drama associated with that.”
Superintendent Addison Davis, at Belmont Elementary, for the school’s ribbon-cutting in October 2020.
Under the contract extension approved June 21, Davis’ contract can be terminated without cause by a simple majority of the school board. Should that happen, Davis would receive the equivalent of 20 weeks’ worth of salary, roughly $120,000. Moreover, he would receive as well accrued vacation and annual sick leave, as allowed by law.
Superintendent Davis can be discharged for cause, including a felony, violation of school district policy, code of ethics violation or any act of moral turpitude.
Davis can terminate his contract with 120 days of notice. His vacation days amount to 25 annually and he can accumulate them year-to-year without limit. He also has the option to receive 15 days’ worth of vacation payouts annually.
The contract calls for Davis to receive an additional 4 percent pay increase every year of his contract, starting in July 2023, with one important caveat.
“This does not give the superintendent an automatic raise,” said school board attorney Jim Porter. “The language proposed would only allow the superintendent’s compensation if 12-month employees get a raise, and that won’t happen until 2023.
Porter also noted comparable base pay for superintendents in other counties, making a case for the importance of Hillsborough to remain competitive in the years ahead for superintendent talent. He noted base salaries for Duval ($335,000), Palm Beach ($324,000), Sarasota ($350,000), Broward ($350,000) and Pinellas ($308,000). Hillsborough County is the seventh-largest school district in the nation and the third-largest in the state, behind Miami-Dade and Broward.
At the meeting during employee comments, John Green, vice president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, questioned why the contract extension was being decided now and not after the millage increase vote in August. Davis’ contract was not set to expire until July 2023.
The board earlier this year voted 4-3 to allow voters to decide if the school board should have the authority to levy an ad valorem tax increase of 1.0 mil to, among other things, “assist with recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers and staff.”
In addition to benefits through the Florida Retirement System, open to all school district employees, Davis is set to get as well an additional retirement plan of his choosing, with deposits equal to 15 percent of his gross pay.
As for additional perks, Davis is set to receive a car allowance amounting to $500 per month. He is provided use of an automobile, with expenses paid by the district. He receives as well a cell phone and data plan, and he is required to carry the phone on him at all times.
Also provided for in his contract, Davis receives a medical exam annually and health, dental and vision covered for himself and eligible family members. Also included is a hospital gap plan, short-term and long-term disability and a $1 million life insurance policy with a term no less than 20 years.
School board members in discussion noted the rocky start Davis had in Hillsborough, complicated by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and the district’s troublesome financial shortfalls. They noted that while Davis had received much criticism in a survey conducted early on in his tenure, he had taken steps to address many of the issues raised and has since received favorable reviews for his work addressing a wide range of issues.
Noted as well was the importance of stability for the school system. “That’s the key, stability,” said school board member Henry “Shake” Washington.“We just have to stick together as a team; we’re going in the right direction.”
