A motion to start the search for a new Hamilton County Schools superintendent -- more than a year before Jim Scales' contract expires -- narrowly missed being added to today's school board agenda.
Hamilton County Board of Education Chairman Everett Fairchild confirmed Wednesday that board member David Testerman approached him with the request. But after talking with Testerman and Scales, Fairchild decided to leave the item off the agenda.
"The feeling was that [Scales] has a contract and there's not grounds to deal with that contract right now," Fairchild said.
Scales' contract keeps him in office until 2012.
Testerman did not return a message Wednesday seeking comment.
Fairchild said the superintendent search resolution still could come up at tonight's meeting.
"If [Testerman] makes a motion and gets a second to it, we'd have to deal with it," he said.
During his re-election campaign last year, Fairchild said it was time for the superintendent to go.
Scales confirmed Wednesday that he had talked to Fairchild about the issue.
"I simply talked to Mr. Fairchild and said that the way it was being presented was against board policy and against my contract, and that's all I have to say about it," he said.
According to the school board's policy, finding a replacement superintendent is a responsibility of the board "when a vacancy occurs."
Contact Kelli Gauthier at kgauthier@timesfreepress.com or 423- 757-6249. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/gauthierkelli.