RCS: Superintendent’s contract not changed

Nothing has changed with Richmond Community Schools Superintendent Curtis Wright’s contract, his relationship with the school board, or the length of time he plans to work for the district, according to district officials.

On Friday, Aug. 29, Richmond Community Schools’ Board of Trustees clarified recent actions regarding Superintendent Curtis Wright’s administrative contract to address misinformation in the community, according to a news release.

At its Aug. 27 meeting, RCS’ board rescinded an extension of Wright’s contract that it had previously passed in its blanket action taken on almost all administrative contracts during its Aug. 13 meeting.

All Indiana school administrators who are licensed teachers receive a Regular Teacher Contract.

The board’s action that evening was generally intended to ensure that all RCS administrative contracts would be for at least two-year terms. However, Wright’s teacher contract was dated July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2031.

While Indiana law requires that Wright, as an employee who holds licensure from the Indiana Department of Education, be issued the Regular Teachers Contract form, his actual terms and conditions of employment are set out in the supplement to his contract that was announced in February 2024.

A copy of Wright’s supplemental contract is available on RCS’ website at werrichmond.com.

RCS officials called inclusion of a teacher’s contract for Wright in the packet of contracts presented to the board on Aug. 13 “simply an error.”

RCS’ board could have extended Wright’s contract through June 30, 2031, as the Regular Teacher Contract form stated. However, it would have needed to publish advance notice and to conduct a public hearing on that extended contract as required by Indiana law before the extension could become effective.

Wright’s current contract with RCS extends through June 30, 2028.

Contrary to what was stated by a patron during public commentary at the Aug. 27 meeting, Wright’s salary for the 2025-2026 contract year is $185,657.50, the release said.

No salaries were changed in the newly renewed contracts. RCS is awaiting the completion of its collective bargaining with teachers before considering any raises for administrators.

But during Aug. 27 public commentary, entrepreneur Rod Weiss questioned the board’s recent approval of administrative contracts, asking why Richmond High School needs so many assistant principals, why salaries for the athletic department total $370,000 before benefits, and why the current athletic director receives about $12,000 more than his predecessor. He called the $109,000 salary and five-year contract for middle school athletic director Billy Wright “absurd.”

Weiss cited his additional concerns about RCS leadership, personnel management, bullying, Title IX discrimination claims, test scores, teacher-student ratios, and conflicts of interest.

Head Start

The board approved a salary schedule and benefits package for Head Start positions so they could be filled as RCS takes over Wayne County’s federal early childhood education program. Current employees are eligible to apply for various positions.

RCS approved several grant awards, including $5,242,158 for Head Start and Early Head Start for 2025-30.

Hourly pay ranges from $14.25 for program aides to $27 for the compliance, supervision and operations manager. Managers will receive health, life and disability insurance.

During public commentary, Tammy Miller of Economy said she’s among current staff trying to boost enrollment in preparation for RCS’ October takeover.

Miller said she’s glad RCS is taking over the contract and believes improvements will be made, but she asked for few changes to be made while families are being recruited.

She said a lot of income-eligible families live outside Richmond who would struggle to get their children to the city and back for the program. Closing buildings indefinitely in Hagerstown and Centerville won’t improve enrollment, she said.

Other grants the board approved include: For 2025-26: Title I services for low-income students, $2,350,683.32; David C. Ford Digital Learning Grant, $20,250; Adult Education, $199,000; Reid Community Grant, $5,000 for special education cooking programs; and Simon Youth Academy Grant, $5,750. In addition, $43,554 was received for Title III disability accommodations for 2025-2027.

In other business

• Board members recognized elementary and secondary principals and instructional coaches as they celebrated students’ higher performance on 2024-2025 standardized tests. Elizabeth Markward, assistant superintendent of elementary education, noted “amazing growth” and said they’ll continue working toward higher achievement. Parent Jason Blunk thanked teachers and administrators for their investments to make this year’s results a reality.
• Several board members indicated their support for Morrisson-Reeves Library’s pursuit of bond funds for a renovation, noting the library’s value to students and families and the importance of a downtown location. Even though the library’s request would potentially negatively affect the school district’s funding, RCS board President Kym Pickering said it’s the right thing to do.
• The board conducted first readings on policies regarding released time for religious instruction, attendance, student discipline and enrollment eligibility for students who don’t live in the corporation, and advanced them to a second reading. A policy meeting is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, and the next regular board meeting is 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10. Both are at the administration building, 350 Hub Etchison Parkway, and are open to the public.

Updated Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 6:05 p.m. to add additional clarifications provided in a statement by RCS officials and to remove contract dates that were not fully explained by available information. WWN continues to research this story and will provide additional updates in future reporting.

Updated Friday, August 29, 2025 at 6 p.m. to clarify that while Wright’s contract may be automatically extended through 2031, the current contract goes through 2028.