Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The District 55 School Board extended Supt. Larry Horton’s contract following his annual evaluation.
The School Board evaluated Horton during an executive session at its regular meeting on June 12.
The superintendent, like teachers, is on a three-year rolling contract that may be extended each year. He is in his fourth year as superintendent.
“I was happy that the board rolled over my contract for three more years,” Horton said. “That’s an indication they’re happy with me. I appreciate the many compliments that were given.”
On a four-point scale, Horton received an overall rating between 3.1 or 3.2.
“We feel Larry is doing a good job,” Chairman Scott Proctor said. “We’re fortunate to have him. He’s doing real well here in our community, and we appreciate all his efforts.”
One area where he was ranked below a three was in curriculum, he said. That arises out of the board trying to decide or understand how much of curriculum is his direct responsibility, whether it is his or whether his role is to oversee the curriculum director.
His take on it is that he is not supposed to deal with curriculum on a daily basis but rather oversee the curriculum director, he said. His job is to make sure the curriculum director does her job.
“We feel he responds well to questions,” Proctor saisd. He responds quickly, and “we feel he’s led us through a lot of community sessions of late that have been informative to the community, helpful to students … and helping us through the process.”
He has many strengths, including his open-door policy where board members, staff and community can talk to him any time, Proctor said.
He received no marks below “satisfactory,” a rating of two, he said.
“We just look forward to having him continue,” Proctor said.
In other business, the board:
– Set Feb. 19 as an emergency closure makeup day if necessary to make up for snow days. The day is an unpaid holiday, President’s Day.
Using this day means teachers at the junior high and high school can make up a snow day in the same trimester schools may be closed rather than the end of the year in a different trimester, Horton said.
– Hired Alicia Fritz at Oak Heights as a teacher. She has four years experience in Hermiston and is an Oregon State graduate with an English as a second language endorsement.
– Hired Mary Cascio as a temporary teacher at Hawthorne. She has 13 years experience with the Ontario School District at the first-grade level. She is an Oregon State graduate.
– Accepted the resignations of Daphnie “DeeDee” Collins, high school business education and computers, and Jennifer Davis, high school language arts.
– Received $7,000 in grant funding for use in TAG programs from the Oregon Community Foundation.
– Adopted a new wellness policy. Administrative rules will be developed over the next few months.
– Adopted year-end adjustments to the 2005-06 budget.
– Adopted the 2006-07 budget following a public hearing.