§18-2E-5a. County superintendent employment contract.

(a) The Legislature previously granted authority to the state board to intervene in the operation of a county school system in section five, article two-e of this chapter. Part of the authority given is the authority of the state board to declare that the office of the county superintendent is vacant. County boards enter into contracts to employ persons as superintendents for a term of years which creates substantial rights and obligations. Although the statute provides that the state board may declare the office of the county superintendent vacant, the statute did not specifically give the state board authority to void the contract of the county superintendent. The intent of this section is to clarify what contractual obligations continue after removal.

(b) Whenever the state board intervenes in the operation of a school system and the office of the county superintendent is declared vacant pursuant to section five, article two-e of this chapter, the state board may, for any intervention which is instituted after the effective date of this section, void any existing employment contract between the county board and the county superintendent.

(c) Whenever a county board elects a county superintendent and enters into a written contract of employment with the superintendent, the county board shall include within the contract a conspicuous clause that informs the superintendent that if the state board intervenes in the operation of the county school system pursuant to section five, article two-e of this chapter, the state board may vacate the office and void the employment contract.