Paul Hix was rehired as 2021-22 Hennessey Public Schools athletic/activities director in a special school board meeting Wednesday, March 31.

The vote was 4 yes and 1 abstention.

It was the board’s third time to vote on Hix’s retention.

The other two votes were March 8 when a vote to hire Hix failed 3-2 and was followed by a 3-1-1 vote to table the matter.

Hix, in his second year at Hennessey, came under fire by parents and other school patrons at the earlier meeting.

They complained that Hix did away with fifth and sixth grade athletics, wouldn’t communicate with them, and they got no help from administrators when they took grievances to them.

There were only 10 patrons in the audience at last week’s meeting and a couple left before the board finished its 45-minute closed session and vote.

Some parents there said others couldn’t take off work for the noon meeting and most of those who were there left after the Hix vote.

They also claimed Hix didn’t support girls’ sports and that he was being paid too much.

The athletic director’s stipend is $9,000 a year. Current coaching assignments show Hix is also paid $6,500 as varsity head football coach; $4,500 as varsity assistant coach, and $2,000 for summer football.

There were 30 parents, friends and family at the earlier meeting, and most stayed after the board spent almost two hours in closed session.

During that meeting, Chandra Seiger gave the board a petition signed by 315 people who did not want Hix rehired.

All board members were present for both March meetings: President Dr. James Matthew Matousek, Vice President Joe Garrison, Clerk Cristopher Choate, Luke Lough and Patrick Griffin.

Garrison abstained in the March 31 vote.

Garrison, Choate and Lough voted against hiring Hix in the first March 8 vote. Later in the meeting, Matousek voted against and Griffin abstained in the vote to table.

Superintendent Dr. Mike Woods recommended that Hix be hired at both meetings.

Hix was invited into the March 8 closed session, but not at this week’s meeting.

David Tillman, who goes on the board this month, also attended both closed sessions as did Jason Sternberger, who was hired as superintendent to replace Woods, who retires as of June 30.

Other staff at the meeting were Timberly Jech, office manager and minutes clerk; Angela Avila, HHS principal; Todd Cameron, technology director; Renee Curry, student information administrator, and Hix.

In other action, the board voted to re-open its early retirement incentive program for the 2020-21 school year through April 12.

Members also voted to hire Valerie Shamburg as an adjunct teacher for one hour of earth sciences for the current school year. Woods said the action was to “make sure our accreditation is in order.”