During last night’s Cumberland County School Board meeting, Director of Schools William Stepp requested to renegotiate his contract.

He suggested it after receiving a positive evaluation. Stepp said many school systems consider raises and extensions annually based on a good evaluation.

Stepp’s current contract with the Cumberland County School System runs through 2025. There is a deadline for March 2025 to negotiate a next step.

Stepp will send the board a new agreement with changes he would like to see.

“I’m requesting to renegotiate the contract, which could mean a new contract, which could mean a different salary,” said Stepp.

The board started the meeting by discussing whether to address the request.

At least two school board members requested the issue be placed on the agenda for discussion. However, the requests came after the agenda was published.

“I am really surprised,” said school board member Robert Safdie. “The compromise was to put it on the old, under old business for a full discussion. And then you have four board members who decided to stonewall the meeting for no particular reason at all, because their item was on the agenda, as under old business. Yet they still did not want to approve the agenda even though it was under old business. This is an embarrassment.”