By SANDY McGEE

CUMBERLAND — A subcommittee of the Cumberland School Committee decided to table talks regarding an extension to the superintendent’s contract at its meeting on Thursday night.

The three-member Personnel Sub-Committee was planning to discuss extending the contract of Superintendent of Schools Donna A. Morelle for another three years at its meeting, which was held prior to the regular School Committee meeting on Thursday.
The subcommittee voted 2 to 1 to table the discussion item, which was listed on its agenda. Personnel Sub-committee Chairwoman Karen MacBeth opposed the decision.
School Committee member and Personnel Sub-Committee member Robert C. Thibodeau said the decision to table discussions was due to Morelle’s upcoming evaluation.
“We’re waiting to do her evaluation,” he said. “By contract, that evaluation will begin in May. It takes a couple of meetings. We have to give her time to show that she has met her goals.”
The Personnel Sub-committee may return to talks in the summer about a possible contract extension after the superintendent’s evaluation, according to Thibodeau.
“It’s a good business arrangement,” he said. “In my opinion, she’s excelling at what she does to lead the school district.”
The proposal to discuss extending Morelle’s contract comes less than a month after a crowd reacted with anger to news from the School Committee.
During a public meeting on Feb. 14, the School Committee confirmed rumors they voted to approve her contract. The announcement was met with a loud reaction of “boos” from the audience.
Morelle’s contract was first extended for one year after a secret vote taken at an executive session meeting on Oct. 26, 2006, by the then-outgoing School Committee.
The contract was extended with a unanimous 7-0 vote during the 2006 closed-door session.
While the previous School Committee approved the contract extension, the superintendent reportedly didn’t accept the extension until Feb. 14.
The current School Committee voted 4 to 3 on Feb. 14 to approve her contract and salary. Opposing the contract’s approval were committee members MacBeth, Donald J. Costa and Earl T. Wood.
Based on the proposed budget for the 2008 to 2009 school year, which has not been finalized, the superintendent’s salary is set at $127,369.80. This amount is an increase of nearly $4,000 from the 2008 amount of $123,660.
The superintendent has served Cumberland schools since July 2005, when she and former School Committee Chairman Paul Neves signed a three-year contract. With the one-year extension, her contract is currently set to expire in June 2009.