Board approves contract for new superintendent

 

Chris Whitmore has signed an agreement to provide part-time administration support for the Solvang School District. The contract was sought during a Dec. 28 emergency meeting of the district’s board of trustees after Steve Michaud, superintendent and principal, resigned earlier in December because of health reasons.

The contract was approved 3-0, with board clerk Peter Haws and Felix Fischer absent. Board President Alfred Holzheu and trustees Michele Saunders and Cris Avery voted.

Whitmore holds a doctorate in education and recently served as superintendent and principal for Blochman Union School District, a district in the unincorporated areas of Tepusquet, Garey and Sisquoc, which has one school. Six years ago he was a finalist for the Solvang superintendent position.

 

The current contract, written as a month-to-month agreement, does not include health, retirement or travel benefits. It allows for up to 10 hours a week for three to four afternoons a week with a rate of $2,400, the same payment schedule for other certificated employees.

Peter Haws, while he wasn’t present during the vote, said the board is “enthusiastic and fortunate that Chris has accepted this interim position” while the board searches for a new superintendent to begin the 2008-09 school year. The district is also looking for a new principal.

“He has the experience for what we need and he’s a perfect fit for the district,” Haws added. “We really appreciate his flexibility and help during this time.”

Michaud served the district as superintendent for six years and also as principal for the past two years. He resigned in December for health reasons, claiming the dual role was too demanding. Principal Jesse Leyva left in 2005.

 

Sherry Schultz, representative for the Solvang Federation of Teachers and a fifth-grade teacher at the school, said the teachers expect the school to run smoothly under Whitmore’s direction, even though he will be working only part-time.

The district also has approved the appointment of Lisa O’Neill to serve full time as interim principal for Solvang School, which teaches kindergarten through eighth grade. O’Neill, a teacher in the district since 1991, will serve through the end of this school year. Her appointment was approved Jan. 4.

O’Neill already has proven herself as a credentialed administrator. She is coordinator of the independent study program for students in grades four through six. This program focuses on custom education for children, offering a minimum of one hour per week or longer if necessary. Students have access to music, band, art, drama and after-school sports.