Personnel Procedures for Athletic Positions

These administrative procedures apply to all personnel appointed by the Board of Education to sponsor extracurricular athletic activities and who receive payment from the Board for their services.

1. Appointment (High School)

1. A notice of vacancy shall be posted in each location throughout the school system by the Principal.
2. The building Principal and the Athletic Director will screen all applications and set up the interview schedule.
3. The selected applicants will be interviewed by a committee representing the administration and the Athletic Department. At the conclusion of the interviews, the principal will submit to the Personnel Director the following information with his/her recommendation to fill the vacancy.
1. A copy of the vacancy announcement.
2. A list of the names of the applicants.
3. A list of the interviewed applicants and the date of interview.
4. The recommendation of the top three candidates listed in rank order (include a copy of their application, reference letters, etc.
4. The Assistant Superintendent for Administration will review the selection procedure with the Personnel Director and submit the name(s) of the recommended candidate(s) to the Superintendent for appropriate action.
5. The Board of Education reserves the right to interview recommended candidates.
6. All positions are one year appointments.

1. Evaluations

1. Pursuant to state law, the Board requires that an athletic coach employed by the Board be evaluated on an annual basis by the coach’s immediate supervisor.  An athletic coach shall be provided with a copy of any such evaluation.  Other assistant and volunteer coaches may be evaluated as directed by the Superintendent of Schools or his/her designee.
2. All individuals will be evaluated annually in writing on the existing form. Recommendations for continuance or dismissal shall appear on the evaluation form which shall be signed by all parties.
3. Evaluation forms and recommendations for continuance or dismissal shall be submitted to the Assistant Superintendent for Administration in accordance with the following schedule:
   Fall Sports - by December 15
   Winter Sports - by April 15
   Spring Sports & Those with Year-Long Responsibilities - by July 15
4. Any person who resigns shall do so in writing to the Principal. The resignation should then be forwarded to the Personnel Director for appropriate Board action.

III. Employment / Termination of an Athletic Coach

1. Athletic coaches serve at the discretion of the Superintendent, and their employment in their specific coaching positions (e.g., basketball, golf) may be non-renewed or terminated at any time, subject to the provisions set forth below which apply to athletic coaches who have served in the same position for three or more consecutive years.

1. If the Superintendent terminates or non-renews the coaching contract of an athletic coach who has served in the same coaching position for three or more consecutive school years, the Superintendent shall inform such coach of the decision within ninety (90) calendar days of the end of the athletic season covered by the contract.  In such cases, the athletic coach will have an opportunity to appeal the decision of the Superintendent in accordance with the procedures set forth below in Section III.

1. Notwithstanding any rights an athletic coach may have to a hearing, nothing prohibits a Superintendent from terminating the employment contract of any athletic coach at any time, including an athletic coach who has served in the same coaching position for three or more consecutive school years:

1) for reasons of moral misconduct, insubordination, failure to comply with the Board’s policies, rules and regulations; or

2) because the sport has been canceled.  

1. If a decision to terminate a coach’s employment is made during the athletic season, the Superintendent shall remove the coach from duty during the pendency of any hearing conducted pursuant to this procedure.

1. Hearing Procedures:

An athletic coach who has served in the same coaching position for three or more consecutive years may appeal any such non-renewal or termination decision (except if such decision was due to cancellation of the sport) to the Board of Education in accordance with the following procedures:

1. The athletic coach must file a written appeal with the Board within ten (10) calendar days of the Superintendent’s written notification of non-renewal or termination.  Such appeal shall set forth the basis on which the athletic coach seeks review of that decision, and a copy of said appeal shall be sent to the Superintendent.  Failure to submit a timely written appeal shall constitute a waiver of said appeal opportunity.

1. Within a reasonable period of time of its receipt of a written appeal of the Superintendent’s decision, the Board or a committee of the Board as designated by the Chairperson shall conduct a hearing to consider such appeal.  Reasonable notice of the time and place for such hearing shall be issued to the athletic coach prior to the commencement of the hearing.

1. At the hearing, the athletic coach shall have an opportunity to present facts and evidence in support of renewal and/or reinstatement, and the Superintendent shall have the opportunity (but shall not be obligated) to present facts and evidence in support of the decision of non-renewal and/or termination.  For good cause shown, the athletic coach may call a limited number of witnesses to testify if there is a clear need for witnesses to present factual information (rather than simply expressing an opinion on the skill or competence of the athletic coach).  In any event, cumulative or redundant testimony shall not be allowed.

1. The decision of non-renewal or termination shall be affirmed unless the Board determines that the decision is arbitrary and capricious.  The coach shall bear the burden of proof on this point.   

1. Within a reasonable period of time following the hearing, the Board shall determine whether the Superintendent acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner in making his/her decision not to renew and/or to terminate, and shall provide a written decision to the coach.  The decision of the Board shall be final.

Approved: November 1, 1981

Amended: November 17, 2015

Reviewed April 20, 2021, No Changes Made

Previous Policy Number: GB3-R