Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Dr. Todd Freeman will be taking over as the Vestavia Hills City Schools superintendent around mid-March.
It’s been more than two decades since Todd Freeman encountered the Vestavia Hills City Schools system for the first time.
It was the early 1990s, and Freeman was the baseball coach for Auburn High School when his team took a hard loss from the Rebels.
At that time, he said, it was easy to see that Vestavia had a strong athletic program. Over the next 20 years and a varied career as a teacher, coach and administrator, Freeman said he learned more and more about the Vestavia school system through the grapevine.
“As I spent more time in our education world, you quickly realize the excellence in academics, arts and athletics,” he said.
Freeman, who has been the superintendent for Sylacauga City Schools since 2013, will take the helm of the district as Vestavia’s seventh superintendent this month.
The board began the process of looking for a new superintendent in September when it contracted with the Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB) to help find quality candidates, and after two months of finalizing candidates and public interviews, the board voted unanimously on Jan. 31 to give Freeman the position.
“I could not have had a more pleasant experience [with the process],” Freeman said, and Interim Superintendent Charles Mason said it was “incredible” to watch the extensive interview process the board members went through to arrive at this decision.
On Friday, Feb. 16, the board voted to approve Freeman's contract, which includes his $190,000 annual salary, an annual automobile allowance and other benefits.
Freeman will begin on March 12 after closing out his contract with the Sylacauga board of education.
Because the official 180 days the board had to fill the vacancy will have expired by March 12, BOE attorney Patrick Boone said he got permission from the state superintendent's office to extend Interim Superintendent Charles Mason's contract by twelve days and $1,000.
IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
Freeman said that his immediate priorities will be to continue the progress of the restructuring and facilities projects the district has been going through over the last two years.
“I think it’s important that we continue to stay on track with the construction projects because so much of the reorganization is dependent upon those things being ready to go in the fall of 2019,” he said, adding that once the rezoning discussion gets underway, that will also be one of his primary focuses.
“That is a very important decision to make, because it’s a long term decision — and it affects students, it affects parents, it affects staff — and so the sensitivity and intentional way that we handle those things coming up are going to be really important,” he said.
Beyond those issues, however, Freeman said he will also be working to listen and learn as much as he can about the district and its faculty, staff and students.
“There’s some immediate things that we have to prepare for … but I’m as equally as interested in immersing myself in the culture,” he said.
Freeman said he wants parents and other stakeholders in the school system to know that he sees their investment in their children and their schools, and appreciates it.
Everyone, he said, wants the same thing: what’s best for Vestavia students.
“How we get there sometimes, we have different ideas, but if we can start with this common idea that we love all of our children and we want what’s best for them, then that’s a good place to start.”
Mason, whose contract officially went through the end of February, said he anticipates Freeman will have a “thoughtful but inclusive” approach to the decisions and changes to come.
“I look forward to working with Dr. Freeman,” Mason said. “I have absolute confidence in Dr. Freeman. I think he will prove to be a strong leader for this school system.”
“I’ll do everything I can in the next 30 days, or 300 days or however long it is, to support him and work with him,” Mason added.
A New Home
Beyond his professional goals, Freeman said he and his wife Rachel are excited about getting involved in the community.
“With a 4-year-old and 2-year-old, we have great interest in a community that has a family-like feeling,” he said.
He said both he and his wife plan to join local groups and organizations, and that the family appreciates the shared values they have with Vestavia residents as a whole.
“You just get the real sense of community,” he said. “Vestavia Hills has got 30,000-plus people that live here, but you don’t get that feeling. You feel like it’s a small community — and I was raised in a small town, so that feeling is a nice feeling to me.”
As he and his family look to make to Vestavia their new home, Freeman said he wanted to extend his sincerest appreciation to the Sylacauga City Schools board of education and system.
“It has been the greatest experience of my life,” he said. “The Sylacauga board gave me a chance ... and we have accomplished together so many things, and I’m proud to have been a part of it.”
– Sydney Cromwell contributed to this report.
