BENTONVILLE -- The School Board late Tuesday approved a one-year contract extension for Superintendent Debbie Jones.
The board met in executive session toward the end of its regular monthly meeting, in part to conduct its evaluation of Jones.
The board then came out of executive session and voted 6-0 to extend her contract, so that it now runs through June 2026.
Eric White, board president, said Jones will be getting a raise as well, similar to the last one she received.
Jones' salary increased from $245,000 last school year to $254,800 this school year, according to district documents -- a 4% increase.
The board last evaluated Jones in February. At that time, the board also extended her contract a year to keep it a rolling three-year commitment.
Brent Leas was the only board member absent at Tuesday's board meeting. He posted to his School Board member Facebook account expressing disagreement with the timing of the board's most recent evaluation and contract extension for Jones.
"This truly seems to be an inappropriate time to make that assessment and in effect does take our constituents out of the equation," Leas stated in his post.
Board elections are coming up Nov. 8. Four of the board's seven members opted not to run for reelection and will fall off the board once the election is settled. Another current board member has opposition in her run for reelection.
In other business, the board held a very short special meeting late Tuesday that had been called through a petition signed by parents. Those signing the petition demanded the board discuss school bus safety in light of an incident Sept. 19 in which a Thomas Jefferson Elementary kindergartner was left for hours on a bus.
During the regular board meeting earlier Tuesday, administrators and board members had discussed the matter and measures that have been taken in response to the incident.
White opened the special meeting by saying the matter was part of the regular board meeting agenda and time was provided for public comments during that meeting. No public comment period was included as part of the special meeting.
White asked board members if there were any other transportation issues they wanted to discuss. Hearing nothing, White called to adjourn the meeting. One audience member appeared to protest.
"I'm sorry; it's a private meeting. You can't interrupt a board meeting," White said.
The board voted to adjourn.