by Kate Evans
The Morgan County School Board voted unanimously to elect Morgan County Schools Superintendent Kristen Tuttle to serve a four-year term as Superintendent beginning July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2027.
The board’s action came at the April 18 school board meeting after a brief executive session to discuss Tuttle’s contract. They approved a new contract for Tuttle with a salary increase each year.
Tuttle’s new contract stipulates that she will be paid $518,000 over four years on a bi-monthly basis in 24 equal installments each year, school board president Aaron Close said. That breaks down as a salary of $123,000 in year one (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024), $129,000 in year two (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025), $132,000 in year three (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026) and $134,000 in year four (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027).
Tuttle was approved as Morgan County Schools Interim Superintendent beginning July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020 after the resignation of former Morgan County School Superintendent Dr. Erich May, who left to accept a superintendent’s position in Pennsylvania.
Tuttle was next approved for a three-year employment term as Superintendent beginning July 1, 2020 and running to June 30, 2023.
Tuttle’s base salary for her first three years as superintendent was $106,500 for year 1, year 2-$110,760 and year 3-$115,190.
Tuttle previously served as Assistant Superintendent of Morgan County Schools, Secondary Education and Career Technical Education Director, Berkeley Springs High School Principal and
Assistant Principal and Berkeley Springs High School business education teacher.
Board president Aaron Close felt the school system could afford the higher salary for Tuttle. Her salary needs to be in line with school superintendents’ salaries in other rural counties of Morgan County’s size, he said.
Board vice-president Pete Gordon noted that Tuttle had seen Morgan County Schools through some bad times.
“I think we’re going to thrive,” Gordon said.
Board member Laura Smith said that she appreciated everything that Tuttle has done and “that she’ll continue to work with us.”
Superintendent Tuttle said that it’s been a pleasure to work with this board and that she looks forward to continuing to work together. She thought that they “have a lot of good things in place to help our students succeed.”
