Whittier : Superintendent Resigning

The East Whittier City School District board has accepted the resignation of Supt. Gary W. Mills and named Assistant Supt. Dorothy F. Fagan as acting superintendent.

Mills’ resignation becomes effective June 30. Until then, he will be on a paid leave of absence, district officials said. Mills earned $62,317 per year. His contract with the district would have expired Aug. 1, 1988.

Mills, who could not be reached for comment, gave no reason for his abrupt departure. Board members declined to discuss their reasons for putting him on leave.

“I think we were all surprised,” said Carl Moore, board president. “I talked to him on the phone. He was shook up. He wished us all luck.”

Moore called Mills “a good communicator. Gary has his good points and his bad points, like all of us,” Moore said. “We felt that with his tenure, it was fair to pay him through June.”

Mills became superintendent in August, 1980. Before that, he was assistant superintendent for instructional services at a school district in Finneytown, Ohio. He returned from vacation to Ohio and turned in his resignation Nov. 21.

A new superintendent is not expected to be hired until September, Fagan said. Until then, Fagan will continue with her duties as assistant superintendent for personnel and curriculum, as well as acting superintendent. “I don’t anticipate any abrupt changes,” Fagan said. “We’ll just have to go on and take care of the operation of the district.”

The board also increased Fagan’s salary from $59,084 to $62,317.