Iowa § 279.23 - 279.23 Continuing contract for administrators.

§ 279.23. 279.23 Continuing contract for administrators.

1. Contracts with administrators shall be in writing and shall contain all of the following: a. The term of employment which for all administrators except for superintendents may be a term of up to two years. Superintendents may be employed under section 279.20 for a term not to exceed three years. b. The length of time during the school year services are to be performed. c. The rate of compensation. d. A statement that the contract is invalid if the administrator is under contract with another board of directors in this state covering the same period of time, until such contract shall have been released or terminated by its provisions. e. Such other matters as may be agreed upon. 2. The contract shall be signed by the president and the administrator and shall be filed with the secretary of the board before the administrator enters upon performance of the contract. A contract shall not be tendered by an employing board to an administrator under its jurisdiction prior to March 15. A contract shall not be required to be signed by the administrator and returned to the board in less than twenty-one days after being tendered. 3. Except as otherwise specifically provided, an administrator’s contract shall be governed by the provisions of this section and sections 279.23A, 279.24, and 279.25, and not by section 279.13. 4. For purposes of this section and sections 279.23A, 279.24, and 279.25, the term “administrator” includes school superintendents, assistant superintendents, educational directors employed by school districts for grades kindergarten through twelve, educational directors employed by area education agencies under chapter 273, principals, assistant principals, other certified school supervisors employed by school districts for grades kindergarten through twelve as defined under section 20.4, and other certified school supervisors employed by area education agencies under chapter 273. For purposes of this section and sections 279.23A, 279.24, and 279.25, with regard to community college employees, “administrator” includes the administrator of an instructional division or an area of instructional responsibility, and the administrator of an instructional unit, department, or section. 5. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a temporary contract may be issued to an administrator for up to nine months. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a temporary contract may also be issued to an administrator to fill a vacancy created by a leave of absence in accordance with the provisions of section 29A.28, which contract shall automatically terminate upon return from military leave of the former incumbent of the administrator position. Temporary contracts shall not be subject to the provisions of sections 279.24 and 279.25. [C77, 79, 81, §279.23] 87 Acts, ch 94, §1; 93 Acts, ch 32, §2; 2003 Acts, ch 19, §3; 2003 Acts, ch 180, §32; 2017 Acts, ch 2, §37, 38, 48, 49 Referred to in §256.160, 273.3, 273.22, 273.23, 275.25, 275.33, 275.41, 279.21, 284A.2 Thu Dec 11 19:28:09 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Section 279.23 (26, 0)