BATON ROUGE - Thursday, the East Baton Rouge School Board voted unanimously in a special meeting to approve newly-chosen superintendent LaMont Cole’s contract. 

Just one week after LaMont Cole was chosen unanimously to serve as district superintendent, the school board also wasted no time writing a hiring document. Cole’s proposed contract outlined a base salary of $285,000. 

Taking a look at the numbers, Cole's contract also allows incentive pay of up to $68,400 in inventive pay for meeting certain goals outlined by the district. 

School Board Vice President Patrick Martin was in the room when the contract was negotiated. 

“One of the great things about this negotiation is that everybody involved us, our lawyers, and Mr. Cole and his council were always focused on what's right for our district and our students,” Martin said.

The base salary is 12% higher than former superintendent Dr. Sito Narcisse’s initial salary, which in 2021 started at $255,000. 

While Cole still serves on Metro Council, not everyone was excited for Cole to sign on the dotted line.

James Finney, a frequent commenter at school board meetings, says the board needed to take its time. 

"If Mr. Cole is still on the Metro Council, he should not be your employee. There should not be any overlap. That is illegal," Finney said. “Think about the message that sends to the children of this community. If you get powerful enough, it's okay to break the law just a little bit.”

LaMont Cole is expected to and has promised to step down from his seat on the Metro Council and his job with CSAL Charter schools. However, Cole has yet to announce when that will happen. WBRZ is told there will not be a special election to name a replacement since his term was over at the end of the year.

Cole’s superintendent contract is set to expire in June 2028. 

The school board still has to finalize and vote on the contract for Deputy Superintendent Adam Smith.