New Charleston school Superintendent Anita Huggins will earn $275,000 per year — the same amount reported as previous Superintendent Eric Gallien’s salary — according to a copy of the new contract acquired by the Charleston City Paper.
Charleston County School District Board of Trustees Chair Keith Grybowski told the Charleston City Paper Feb. 7 that he signed a three-year employment contract with Huggins, who served as interim superintendent from late September 2023 when Gallien resigned. At least one board member has questioned whether it was right to sign the contract without board discussion or approval.
Huggins will also receive one-time retroactive pay worth thousands of dollars that is reimbursed at a rate that is the difference between her new salary and what she earned as interim superintendent.
“The contract was negotiated by council pursuant to the board’s Jan. 22, 2024, approved action,” Grybowski told the City Paper in a Feb. 7 text message. “The contract’s terms and conditions are materially similar with precedent set by [the] district in its negotiations with past superintendents. After conferring with legal council (sic) … I signed the contract.”
While several local and school leaders have vocalized support for Huggins, the process has left a sour taste in some trustees’ mouths.
Process roiled in conflict
Grybowski’s signature on the contract appears to put an end to a year of drama over the board’s selection of its top leader. A spring search led to Gallien being hired in July 2023 after a hiring process in which two other candidates dropped out after their names were leaked. Less than three months after Gallien started as superintendent, the board suspended him after an allegation that he had created a hostile work environment. Gallien denied the allegation, but the board reached a deal to pay Gallien more than $350,000 to leave the job. Later, it was reported an investigator found Gallien had not created such a work environment.
“When Dr. Gallien was hired, we went through this whole process — they put together a contract we were all able to see and discuss,” said CCSD Board Trustee Carol Tempel. “Then, we as a board approved that contract to be offered to Dr. Gallien. That’s not the process we followed in this situation.”
Tempel said the board had not discussed the contract between the district and Huggins prior to Grybowski’s approval and signature, adding that the salary was also never discussed.
“How can you justify signing a contract we have not approved as a school board?” Tempel wrote in a Feb. 6 email to Grybowski. “This appears to me as an authoritarian (some would say fascist) over-reach on your part.
“It’s disingenuous to email us a contract and then say you are going to sign it before we have a chance to discuss it,” she added. “You short-circuited the hiring process … no interviews, no resume, no advertisement or panel reviews, etc. … and now you are pulling off this power play. … I am in disbelief at this unprofessional action on your part.”
In a Jan. 22 board meeting during which the board announced the intention to hire Huggins as full-time superintendent, some board members decried what they saw as “systemic racism.”
The surprisingly quick decision on Huggins, a White woman, came without a national search after the Moms-for-Liberty-backed majority board members voted last year to oust Gallien, a Black man. They also made Michelle Simmons, a Black woman, go through a lengthy appointment process to become the district’s chief academic officer, despite her having served in the role in an interim capacity.
On Jan. 30, Huggins released a letter stating her intent to accept the full-time superintendent position. She said she would like to meet with each of nine board members in groups of three to share her priorities and answer any questions they have about her vision, experience and plans to support CCSD students.
“Ultimately, I hope to earn the trust and support of all board members as I will need their assistance to keep our laser-like focus on what is best for children.”
In a Jan. 30 joint letter, mayors William Cogswell of Charleston, Reggie Burgess of North Charleston and Will Haynie of Mount Pleasant said they supported the appointment of Huggins as superintendent.
“The Charleston County School District has faced leadership challenges in the past decade affecting its effectiveness and public trust,” the letter read. “Stability and a commitment to equity and excellence are needed.
In a statement the same day, Huggins said, “I am not naive to the gravity of the public and board’s discussion surrounding my appointment. In fact, quite the opposite is true. I take very seriously the community conversation about racism and the wider discussion about how our system can perpetuate distrust.”
Huggins added her focus will be on the classroom and student outcomes.
“Simply put, our focus must be the classroom,” she said. “Student outcomes will improve when we have a highly qualified teacher in every classroom who is adequately supported and when we make our number one priority resourcing schools. It will be my expectation that every leader on our team communicates this same message and works to listen to, respond to, and support our great teachers and school-based leaders.”
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.