Editors Note: This article was originally published in the Dec. 20, 2023 issue of the Chronicle Progress. Some information may be outdated.
Millard school board members voted 3-2 last week to reappoint Superintendent David Styler, extending his current contract into 2026.
Styler said he planned to retire before the end of his new employment term, probably sometime in 2025.
There was little discussion ahead of the motion to reappoint—board members previously discussed Styler’s contract during a closed executive session—but the two newest board members voted against keeping the superintendent beyond June 30.
Tiffany Nelson and Sarah Richins said their votes reflected concerns they have regarding an amendment to the superintendent’s contract that a previous board made in November 2020 involving the district providing medical insurance to the superintendent, his wife and any dependents beyond his retirement, until he reaches Medicare age.
Part of the amendment to Styler’s contract stipulated that he had to retire from the Millard School District in order to be eligible for the insurance coverage after retirement.
A previous school board agreed to provide the insurance guarantee because, some members said at the time, it was a cheaper option than providing the superintendent with a pay raise.
Nelson said her no vote was not meant to be taken as a personal slight against Styler.
“It’s just that the community I represent made it more than clear what they want and…I can’t get behind it,” she said.
Richins said questions surrounding the legality of the amendment as well as the district’s ability to fulfill its obligations to pay for the insurance in the future also caused her to vote against reappointment.
Board President David Lund said he understood their concerns, but was in favor of moving forward since the amendment was already in place and not up for re-negotiation.
“The way I look at it that amendment was in 2019 (2020), the health insurance. That is already in place…it’s an amendment to a contract. What we are voting on today is strictly an extension to the contract,” he said, adding after the vote that “We’re a board, we don’t always agree.”
The board quickly moved onto other business.
Styler was asked if he wished to comment about the vote. He declined.
The insurance issue created controversy when it was first adopted.
The superintendent’s salary was also questioned earlier this year when some district employees noticed what amounted to a $57,000 spike in Styler’s publicly reported wages.
After some questions were raised by the Chronicle Progress, it was shown the spike was caused when Styler chose to exercise a clause in his contract whereby he can cash in unused vacation days.
Public employee salaries can be found at the
