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Mark Dockins will remain superintendent of Uintah School District through the school year, members of the district's school board announced Wednesday, ending speculation about a lame-duck firing of the popular administrator.
The board scheduled a review of Dockins' contract during its meeting this week, the final meeting of 2016 before a majority of the board is replaced by new members next month.
Reading from a prepared statement, board President Mark Caldwell said Dockins' contract includes the possibility of being terminated for cause. But the superintendent will continue in his position until June 30, Caldwell said, when a new board will have the option to renew Dockins' employment.
"The board received information regarding the superintendent's conduct that it felt it had an obligation to investigate and to obtain legal advice regarding the results of that investigation," Caldwell said. "The investigation is now complete. No board action is being taken as a result of the investigation."
The reason for the investigation and its findings have not been disclosed.
In a 3-2 vote, the board approved spending more than $7,000 to compensate outside legal counsel hired to investigate and prepare a report on Dockins' conduct.
Board member Allen Huber spoke against the expense, saying counsel was hired and the investigation was launched without the full school board being informed.
Rather than voting to pay someone for work that was already completed, Huber said, the board should have voted on whether to launch an investigation and who to hire for the job.
"My assumption is that this was done unilaterally, that either our president made that selection or some other group or individual," Huber said. "But I'm not aware of how that was done and why it was done and who we selected and why we selected that particular legal counsel."
Caldwell responded that he did not unilaterally launch the investigation into Dockins' conduct.
"It was done by the members of the board [who] supported the investigation," he said.
His comment drew jeers from the roughly 100 people in attendance, including one woman who shouted, "They should pay for it."
Dockins was selected as superintendent in 2009. He did not respond to requests for comment.
Board members last discussed Dockins' contract in March, during a meeting that adjourned abruptly after heated exchanges with members of the public.
Caldwell did not allow public comment Wednesday evening, and said the school district could face additional costs for the investigation into Dockins' conduct beyond the $7,000 approved by the board.
"We still could receive another billing in the mail," he said.
Board vice-president Greg Gilroy joined Huber in opposing the payment. Uintah School District enrolls roughly 7,100 students, according to the most recent Utah Board of Education data.
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