Clovis superintendent's contract extended

CLOVIS — Clovis school board members met for an hour in executive session regarding the contract for Superintendent Renee Russ. It only took a few minutes in open session to show they were pleased with her work.

By a 4-0 vote, board members provided Russ with a contract extension to June 30, 2025, with a 5% raise. Board member Shawn Hamilton said the board appreciated the work Russ did and the raise is intended to reward Russ and make sure the salary is competitive with similar-sized school districts.

Russ, who began as superintendent in 2019, told The News it was her understanding the raise would be effective in July. Russ confirmed at the beginning of the current fiscal year, received a raise of about 1.5% equivalent to other district employees — taking her salary from $159,200 to $161,500. A 5% raise in the upcoming fiscal year would move that salary to $169,575.

Board members also allowed Russ to carry over 31 days of vacation, as it voted for all district employees during the regular portion of the meeting. State rules require payouts of 30 days of vacation or less be subject to retirement and retiree healthcare premiums for both the employee and employer, but those requirements do not apply to 31 days or more.

In other business at the Tuesday meeting:

• Krystal Gutierrez, health services director for the district, told board members a $293,000 grant from the state would be used to create a site for the Public Education Department’s “Test to Stay” program. Gutierrez said the testing program would let kids and staff identified as close contacts of a COVID-19 positive individual on campus can avoid a quarantine so long as they test negatively one, three and five days after the exposure.

The drive-through rapid test site, open only to students and staff, will be established at Yucca Middle School. Board member Kyle Snider said he didn’t like the idea of so many tests, but that the tradeoff was keeping kids in class.

• Board members approved in substance a sale agreement to satisfy state requirements on an August 2020 transaction between the district and Community Development Institute Head Start. Jelayne Curtis, an executive legal administrative assistant, said a complicating factor in the securing proper documentation for the state was that CDI sold the lots on Sheldon and Wallace streets the following day. The board authorized Russ to sign off on the deal once it is complete, so long as the state doesn’t require dramatic changes.

• Cameo Elementary Principal Nicole Hahn addressed board members about the University of Virginia’s Partnership for Leaders in Education, which serves Clovis and more than 100 other school districts in 25 states about finding best educational priorities and practices.

Hahn said involvement with the UVA partnership has taught her various lessons about lifelong learning, mentoring, collaboration and having good state and national networking.

“Most professional developments are a quick fix,” Hahn said, “but the University of Virginia has created something different that will endure for me.”

• Board members approved adding kindergarten and first-grade students to the iAcademy, which focuses on an online curriculum. Board member Cindy Osburn said it was eye-opening to see the number of young students using online curriculums. Deputy Superintendent for Employee Services Joe Strickland said the participation levels were difficult to predict as the iAcademy was starting up.

• The next board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Dec. 14.