Contract Extended for Schools Chief

Pleased with a successful school bond measure and the reduction of some class sizes, the board of the Las Virgenes Unified School District has extended Supt. John Fitzpatrick’s contract for another year.

“He’s a goals-oriented superintendent, and we’ve been reaching our goals,” said board member Judy Jordan.

Fitzpatrick, who formerly directed the Rim of the World Unified School District in Lake Arrowhead, was named Las Virgenes superintendent in 1995. At that time, he was given a four-year contract, Jordan said, and each year the contract is extended by one year at the board’s discretion. The contract now runs until 2002.

Every summer the board issues a confidential written evaluation that takes stock of curricula, budget management, employee morale, community relations and other criteria.

Fitzpatrick met two of the district’s primary goals: passage of a $93-million school bond measure by voters last year, and class-size reductions that resulted in 20 or fewer students in four grades.

Fitzpatrick, who earned $115,000 a year when he was hired, was given a cost-of-living raise. His salary is now $128,000.