School Board to Hold Talks With Superintendent

The Centinela Valley Union High School District board plans to enter into negotiations with its interim superintendent in an attempt to resolve their differences, the board’s attorney said.

The decision was made at a special school board meeting Saturday that was called to discuss the fate of John Rindone, the district’s embattled superintendent. Rindone was hired as interim superintendent in July 1996 and given a permanent contract this past August.

A newly seated school board recently put Rindone back on interim status and gave him a month-to-month contract after alleging that Rindone had been given the permanent three-year contract during a closed meeting in violation of the Brown Act.

School board attorney Eric Bathen would not discuss the differences between the board and Rindone or how the board hoped to resolve their problems. Bathen said he will issue a report on the talks between the two parties at the board’s Jan. 13 meeting.

“We want to see if we can negotiate the differences between the board and the superintendent so this situation can be resolved amicably,” Bathen said.

Rindone could not be reached for comment.