Separation agreement reached after Hot Springs superintendent placed on leave
A separation agreement between Hot Springs School District and Dr. Nehus was reached on Thursday. Here’s what we know about the agreement between the two parties.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — It’s been two weeks since the first special school board meeting was called by the Hot Springs School District as parents urged the district to relieve Dr. Stephanie Nehus of her position as superintendent.
The outcry began after the superintendent’s husband Zachary Nehus was arrested on a parole violation which stemmed from child porn charges in 2016 — it’s still unclear what lead to the parole violation.
After originally supporting Dr. Stephanie Nehus, a separation agreement between her and the school district was announced at this latest special school board meeting.
The separation agreement came to the approval to parents like Sara Jeffers.
“It was a victory … it was most definitely a victory,” said Jeffers.
Jeffers is just one of many parents that were upset after the initial school board meeting, one where the school board put out a statement of support.
The following day an additional school board meeting was called, but this time the school board put Dr. Nehus on administrative leave amid the controversy..
Fast forward to Thursday’s, and the school board solidified the separation agreement while agreeing upon a contract for Dr. Mike Hernandez’s contract who will be filling the role.
“Parents shouldn’t have to take off work for people that we’ve elected to put in positions to do the ethical and moral correct thing,” Jeffers said. “And so, I’m still very disappointed in that fact.”
Dr. Mike Hernandez was the superintendent prior to Dr. Nehus. He was appointed to come back as superintendent effective July 1 and said that he is excited to come to the district.
“We want to make sure that Hot Springs School District’s committed to transparency. We want to make sure we’re protecting students [and] emphasizing school safety. We obviously want to always continue to improve academic achievement in the schools and so that’s going to be my focus,” Hernandez said.
While the final stretch of the school year has been filled with frustration amongst parents, Hernandez said that he is hoping to bring what he learned from working at the Department of Education to the Hot Springs District. He also said that he is also focused on moving forward.
“There’s a little bit of bump in the road there, but we’re, I think everybody’s kind of focused on — let’s move forward and let’s make sure that we finish the year strong. Let’s look forward to getting a good start to next year,” Hernandez said.
Following the separation agreement with Dr. Nehus, the Hot Springs School Board released the following statement:
“Dr. Nehus has been a dedicated educational leader for the hot springs school district for many years, and we sincerely appreciate her service. She is on contract through June 2028.
In an effort to continue moving the district forward, the Board of Education has reached an agreement that honors the terms of Dr. Nehus contract while maintaining the board’s fiscal responsibility to the district. This resolution allows both parties to move forward without incurring unnecessary time or legal expenses.
Under the agreement, Dr. Nehus will remain on administrative leave until June 30,2025 and will conclude her employment with the Hot Springs School District at that time, she will receive compensation equivalent to one additional year of salary and benefits.
The Hot Springs School District remains committed to prioritizing student achievement and safety. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Mike Hernandez back as superintendent effective July 1.”