What we know about Longview superintendent's contract
Community members have questioned the Longview School Board's decision to renew Superintendent Karen Cloninger's contract without public discussion amid controversy about allegations of sexual assaults taking place at Mark Morris High School.
Here's what we know about her contract and the latest addendum.
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Original contract
The board first voted to approve Cloninger's contract at a March 25, 2024, meeting. She was chosen to replace former Superintendent Dan Zorn, who retired that summer.
At the time, she told The Daily News that she hoped to retire in Longview.
"I hope that the superintendent of Longview will be my last job," she said.
The original contract was set to run from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027. It set her salary for the 2024-2025 school year at $207,762 per year, with plans to increase it annually based on the state inflationary adjustment.
Longview superintendent contract 2024
The contract states that it can be terminated if Cloninger fails to fulfill any obligations required by law or district policy. It also gives the school board the option to terminate her employment with cause in accordance with state law, which gives her the opportunity for a hearing to review the decision.
The board also has the option to fire her without cause during the first year of the contract or for 18 months after that, meaning until January 2027.
Addendums
The board voted to extend the contract by one year, moving the end date to June 30, 2028, as part of the consent agenda at its March 10, 2025, meeting.
It voted to extend the contract again at its April 13, 2026, meeting, setting the new end date at June 30, 2029. The second contract agenda was also part of the consent agenda, and no board members commented on it before the vote.
According to the meeting minutes, there was no public comment at the meeting, which was designated as a study session to discuss budget development for the 2026-2027 school year.
Longview superintendent addendum 2026
The board typically holds two meetings per month. The first is a study session and does not usually have votes other than approving the consent agenda, which includes items that are not expected to need discussion, like personnel reports and the minutes of previous meetings. The second meeting is focused on business and includes votes.
Community complaints
It's not unusual for school boards to extend superintendent contracts without fanfare if there are no concerns about the superintendent's performance.
However, some speakers have said during public comment at board meetings that the board should have held a more in-depth discussion about Cloninger's contract in light of widespread concern about how she and other district officials responded to allegations that several Mark Morris students committed sexual assaults on campus.
Longview Police Department documents show that Longview School District began an internal investigation into the allegations over a week before a parent reported them to the police. No district officials made a police report, despite the fact that school employees are legally required to report suspected child abuse, including sexual assault by another child.
In a later police report, district staff stated that Cloninger pressured them to withhold details about the investigation from law enforcement and families.
Cloninger was arrested May 21 on suspected charges of tampering with a witness, failure to report and obstructing a law enforcement officer. The board placed her on administrative leave that day.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 4:17 AM.