The Guthrie Board of Education unanimously approved a new three-year deal with Superintendent Dr. Mike Simpson at Monday night’s regular scheduled board meeting.
The new agreement, with a 5-0 school board vote, will keep the top school official under contract until June 30, 2024. Simpson is now the fourth longest tenured superintendent for Guthrie Public Schools, which dates back to 1911.
In Oklahoma, school districts may contract with a superintendent, which cannot exceed three years beyond the fiscal year in which the board approves and the superintendent accepts the contract.
Simpson, who has served as the Guthrie superintendent since 2012, has guided the school district with two highly successful school bond issues that, in part, have constructed a new elementary school (Charter Oak Elementary) and will build a future elementary school in 2023.
In 2015, voters approved the $16.2 million bond with an approved percentage of 76.8 percent. In 2019, 71.7 percent of the voters said yes to a $19.25 million bond. The previous highest bond amount approved was $4.8 million in 2005.
In addition to the new contract, the board agreed to amended Simpson’s base salary in his current contract, which is set to expire on June 30, 2021.
With the amendment, Simpson’s base salary increases from $124,976 to $129,000 annually.
With each year of the new three-year deal, the base salary is set for $133,000 plus the cost of premiums for the superintendent’s family medical, health, hospitalization coverage and health and dental plans.
The BOE agrees to pay all of the superintendent’s required contribution to the Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System.
Other contract agreements includes a $250 monthly vehicle allowance, mileage reimbursement, 15 days of paid vacation time and 12 sick days.
Prior to his arrival in Guthrie, Simpson served as the assistant superintendent for the Ponca City school district. He was the athletic director for eight years (2000-2008) at Stillwater High School. He first got into education as a teacher and boys basketball coach at Apache High School before moving to the same position at Blackwell High School (1996-2000).
Simpson earned his Ed. D from Oklahoma State University in December 2010. He graduated from OSU in 1991 with a Secondary Education major and a MA in Kinesiology from Sam Houston State in 1993.
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