ORANGE : Contract Extension for Guith Rejected

The trustees of the Orange Unified School District have informally rejected a request by Supt. Norman C. Guith for a contract extension, officials who asked not to be named said this week.

Sources said Guith approached board members about two months ago, requesting that they make a commitment beyond his current contract, which expires in June, 1993. The board discussed the matter in closed session and informally told Guith that they could not agree to extend his contract at that time, the sources said.

While district officials declined to interpret the possible long-term implications of the board’s rejection of his request, district insiders said the move could have been a protest of communication problems between his office and trustees, which have caused friction at the district.

Trustees have sometimes complained that Guith should seek more of their input before enacting new policies. For example, board members were surprised last semester when they learned that bilingual report cards had been sent to students for the first time in district history.

Orange Unified board members contacted Friday would not comment on the closed-session discussion.

Guith also refused to comment on whether he had met with board members about his contract or whether board members told him it would not be renewed.

“I entered into an agreement to stay with the district for three years, and I’m 18 months into it and I have 18 months to go,” he said. “If the board at anytime in the next 18 months renews my contract, then I could stay on. That’s all I want to say on that.”

The district conducted a seven-month search for a superintendent before hiring Guith in July, 1990. He signed a three-year contract for an annual salary of $109,000, about 25% higher than his predecessor’s.

His arrival was heralded as a breath of fresh air for Orange Unified, which had been plagued by kickback scandals, fiscal instability and union unrest. Teachers, parents, and administrators all hoped that Guith would be the key to cleaning up a decade of problems.

Guith has been praised for his open-door policy with the public and for building a stronger district relationship with Orange Unified’s growing Latino population. Earlier this year, Latino leaders honored him for his work in the community. He has also been credited with hiring strong administrators.

However, others in the district have complained that Guith’s administrative techniques are often at odds with the board. Trustees often complain that Guith places important matters on the board’s agenda for approval without sufficient warning, often leaving them to approve matters he supports but that they know little about, district sources said.