Diocesan Board of Education
Diocese of Belleville
Policy 2211.4
ADMINISTRATION
Principal - Employment Agreement
The term and responsibilities of the principal (lay or religious) should be clearly set forth in the employment agreement. The mutually signed employment agreement should be made in triplicate. One copy is retained at the school office, one copy at the parish office, if applicable, and one copy sent to the Office of Education.
As set forth in the principal’s employment agreement, each employment agreement is effective only for the term set forth in the employment agreement, and there shall be no implied right of reemployment, renewal, or extension of the existing employment agreement. The principal, the school and/or the Office of Education have no obligation to enter into an employment agreement in the future.
The decision to renew or not renew a principal's employment agreement is at the discretion of the local pastor in consultation with the Office of Education. For diocesan schools, the decision to renew or not renew a principal's employment agreement is at the discretion of the Office of Education. (As stated in Policy 2211.7 and Regulation 2211.7.)
The term and responsibilities of office for the principal (lay or religious) should be clearly set forth in the contract form. The contract should be made in triplicate. One copy is given to the principal, one copy to the pastor, and one copy sent to the Office of Education.
The decision to renew or not renew a principal's contract is at the discretion of the local pastor in consultation with his local board of education and the Office of Education. (As stated in Policy 2211.7 and Regulation 2211.7.)
- When a principal's employment agreement will not be renewed, the pastor will endeavor to notify the principal by letter no later than March 15 preceding the expiration of the employment agreement. The letter should, but is not required, to indicate reasons why the employment will not be renewed, although it is understood that the school and/or the Office of Education do not need to have any reason to decide not to offer any principal an employment agreement in subsequent years.
- The principal has the responsibility to notify the pastor and Office of Education in writing by March 15 if he/she is not interested in returning and entering into an employment agreement for the following year.
• If presented an employment agreement for the following year, the principal shall return the signed
copy of the employment agreement to the pastor, or the Office of Education by April 1.
• The timeline stated above is a general guideline and there may be circumstances that prevent this timeline from being followed.
The Diocesan Board of Education Policies and Regulations do not in any way constitute a binding contract or in any way guarantee any rights or promises of any particular term or condition of employment or subsequent employment. The Pastor and the Office of Education (for diocesan schools) retain the absolute right to determine the terms and conditions of the employment of the principal.
Adopted: September 20, 1983
Revised: May 15, 2007
Revised: December 15, 2025