District 26 to vote on 5-year deal for superintendent

The Board of Education of Cary Community Consolidated School District 26 is set to vote on the superintendent’s five-year contract at 7 p.m. Monday.

The contract for Brian Coleman, which runs from July 1 through 2024, starts with a base salary of $177,609. The base salary will increase throughout its lifetime according to the Consumer Price Index or the cost of living.

The contract includes health benefits, retirement, pension and a 4% annual performance bonus.

Coleman, 54, moved to Cary 30 years ago with his family, mainly because of the reputation of the school district. His children have gone through the school system and are graduates of Cary-Grove High School.

“I feel very fortunate to lead in a district that my own family came through,” he said in a phone interview Saturday. “We have a lot vested in the school district.”

Coleman’s current salary is $172,436. His new contract reflects a 3 percent increase.

Coleman was first hired as a science teacher at Cary Junior High in 1990. As the years went on, he served as assistant principal and principal at various district schools. He was appointed as superintendent in the 2008-09 school year.

“I’m most proud of our staff,” Coleman said in reflecting over the years. “We went through some very challenging financial times with the school district and our staff pulled together, along with the community. We were able to get through that at that time and come out this time better and on a positive path and journey with a strong educational program and stable financial condition.”

In looking ahead, Coleman said he is working on a new five-year strategic plan.

“(It) is what I did when I first came in,” he said. “I look forward to working with all the employee groups, as well as community members, developing a new strategic plan that is going to guide us over the next five years.”

Scott Coffey, former school board president of District 26, who served on the board 9½ years before stepping down in April, said he had worked alongside Coleman during the lean years.

He said Coleman, who formerly worked for the district as a school teacher, was “instrumental” in the “significant restructuring” which helped the district regain its financial position “and live within its means.”

Among those changes were the closing of Maplewood and Prairie elementary schools in 2010-11. The closings resulted in laying off about 75 staff members.

“The problem was the district did not have an affordable cost structure,” Coffey recalled. “So along with the school closures came significant reduction in the teaching staff.”

With the reduction came restructuring of tenured teachers where it was possible and newer teachers were laid off first.

With the school closings came opportunity to generate income.

When Prairie Hill closed the district leased the building to Trinity Oaks Christian Academy, a private school. Before leasing Prairie Hill the academy leased the Oak Knoll site. The school district earns about $150,000 annually on this deal, Coffey said.

Changes also included the elimination of special programs such as music, art, foreign language and physical education.

These initial changes allowed “the district to operate in an affordable operating environment,” Coffey said.

And once the district was in better financial standing those specials were returned. In 2014-15 school year, specials returned to all the schools and new staff was added, Coffey said.

Also under Coleman’s watch, the district “overhauled” the Oak Knoll facility in 2018 and opened it up as an early childhood learning center, serving preschool and kindergarten students.

Today, the district, which serves about 2,500 students, has three elementary schools – Three Oaks, Briargate and Deer Path – serving first through fifth grade, and one junior high building, Cary Junior High, serving sixth through eighth grades.

Coffey described Coleman as “a tremendous leader” who successfully helped rebuild the district.

Coffey said the Coleman’s salary is in line with the benefits he’s brought to the district.

“Given Cary’s unique historical financial position and Mr. Coleman’s performance over the years, that the community has gotten tremendous value from Mr. Coleman’s performance,” he said.