Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Superintendent Todd Freeman talks about the group of student athletes participating in National Signing Day at Vestavia Hills High School on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024.
The Vestavia Hills Board of Education on Tuesday approved new contracts with raises for the superintendent and chief school finance officer.
The board raised Superintendent Todd Freeman’s annual salary to $239,500 and pushed Chief School Finance Officer Courtney Brown’s salary from $125,042 to $152,000.
Freeman’s new contract, which extends four years until May 31, 2028, also provides him with:
- An auto allowance of $12,000 a year
- A monthly contribution to his deferred compensation retirement account of $1,250 a month
- A housing allowance of $2,500 a month
- $100,000 worth of life insurance
- The ability to earn up to 15 additional days of incentive pay if he works more than 240 days a year
- A $10,000 bonus if he continues to work as superintendent through his 10th employment anniversary on March 12, 2028
School board President Jaclyn Hudson, who is ending her five-year term on the board, thanked Freeman for his service to Vestavia Hills.
“He is, in my mind, just such a blessing to our community,” Hudson said. “He is one of the hardest working men I know, and anyone that works for our system will tell you that. He prides himself in raising up leaders and helping them find their calling and brings out their gifts so they can enhance our system better than anyone I’ve ever seen. It’s just incredible to watch him.”
Freeman works tirelessly at finding ways to make things come to fruition, Hudson said.
“Where most people see a roadblock, he sees it as an opportunity, and he has a sense of urgency and sees the big picture,” she said. “If it doesn’t work, he has a backup and then another backup plan. He does what’s right when no one else is looking. I think that’s one of his greatest strengths. Being with him for five years, I’ve just learned so much about being a leader.”
Board member Scott Brown said he is pleased to be able to bring Freeman’s back in proper alignment with superintendents from other school systems. Board member Jay Stewart said superintendents in surrounding communities regularly tell the Vestavia Hills school board how fortunate they are to have Freeman, and he couldn’t concur more.
Several members of the public spoke after the school board finished its business Tuesday, and several complained of the school district’s recent reassignment of Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights Principal Lauren Dressback to the city’s alternative school at the beginning of May.
Several said school officials were trying to frame it as a lateral move when it was really a demotion and complained that Freeman was discriminating against Dressback based on her personal life.
This action is likely to result in another costly lawsuit that Freeman will have to settle, using money that should be going toward the education of children, Lauren Pilliteri said. She complained the school board needs to hold him accountable for his actions.
James Butts, a labor employment attorney, said the Vestavia Hills school system is developing a bad reputation for failing to protect children with special needs and said this is very concerning to people in the community.
Cahaba Heights resident Jim Whisenhunt told the school board it is blindly following Freeman’s lead and is scared to say why Freeman forced Dressback to abruptly leave her school and then transferred her and is protecting another principal who mocked a special needs student.
Freeman earlier this month said the school system “cannot, have not and will not make personnel decisions based on an individual’s race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability.
“I can assure you that all of our decisions are vetted thoroughly and thoughtfully to be in compliance with applicable laws and board policies, and with the best interest of our students, faculty and community in mind,” the superintendent said. “We are fortunate to have employees throughout our system who contribute greatly to our academic success and are committed to our mission to provide every child in our schools the opportunity to learn without limits, and that will continue to be the case.”
