LINCOLN - Nebraska Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt publicly expressed frustration over the way the Nebraska State Board of Education was handling the renewal of his employment contract, telling board members that he felt he was excluded from the process.

“It’s uncomfortable for me to sit here while you talk about me without me,” Blomstedt said. “I will say, and I do feel, as if I’ve not been in the process at this point in time. So, you all are agreeing to an offer that I have yet to consider.”

Blomstedt, typically a self-deprecating consensus-builder with a steady demeanor, seemed out of character while making the comments.

Little more than an "atta-boy" or a "job well done" has been said during his contract renewals since taking the job in 2014, marking the most recent meeting as the most eventful.

Board members offered motions and countermotions over the proposed new contract that would have given him a pay raise and set performance goals. The consideration was postponed until later in the meeting due to their inability to reach an agreement when it was first brought up.

Eventually, a motion to adopt the contract changes failed, 3-5. His salary for the current fiscal year is $237,273, set to increase to $242,019 for the year starting July 1.

The proposed change would have raised it even more to $246,764. Money, however, did not appear to be the issue.

The disagreement stemmed more from the set of performance goals and a concern that the proposed contract terms were reached by a committee without input from other board members.

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