It’s official.

The Little Falls School District will have a new superintendent starting July 1. The Little Falls School Board Tuesday approved the contract with Stephen Jones, who currently serves as the superintendent of the Sibley East School District in Arlington. Jones will succeed Curt Tryggestad, who resigned to take a superintendent job in the Eden Prairie School District.

The contract negotiated between the school district and Jones is for three years. In the contract, Jones will receive an annual salary of $141,000 for the 2012-12 school year; $144,500 in 2013-14; and $148,000 in 2014-15.

The school district also will provide Jones with a 403(b) severance package. The school district will make a payment to Jones per contract year of $5,000 in 2012-13, $6,000 for 2013-14 and $7,000 for 2014-15. Jones also will be eligible to participate in a tax sheltered annuity plan through payroll deductions. The school district will match contributions up to $2,000 in each contract year.

Jones will be able to take 40 paid days of professional leave each contract year and any non-used days will be accumulated from year to year at a maximum of 140 days. The Jones will be entitled to 11 paid holidays.

The school district also will pay for Jones’ health and hospitalization insurance coverage, under the school district’s plan. Jones also will receive life insurance with the district covering $200,000 of coverage, long-term disability insurance and liability insurance.

Jones has been the superintendent in Sibley East since 2009. Prior to that, Jones was the superintendent and high school principal at Murray County Central from 2005-09. He also was the high school principal at Maple River High School and taught speech/language arts/media production at Tracy High School.

JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851. Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl.