ORANGE

Orange Unified School District trustees voted 6 to 1 Monday night to offer Barbara Van Otterloo a three-year contract as superintendent. Van Otterloo, 55, most recently served as superintendent of the Taylor School District in Taylor, Mich., for seven years. Taylor is the 15th largest district in Michigan, serving more than 11,000 kindergarten through 12th-grade students; it had a 1998-99 budget of $94 million.

Should Van Otterloo accept the position, she will inherit a bitter, 16-month contract negotiation with teachers that is now at an impasse. “Ms. Van Otterloo had five unions she dealt with in her current position,” said Board of Education consultant Sharon Giles, whose San Diego-based firm headed up the selection process. “Contract negotiations and difficult issues will not be new to her.”

Board President Terri Sargeant said she believes Van Otterloo is an exceptional choice. “I was impressed with her because she is energetic, bright, honest and a real leader,” Sargeant said. “Her experience and great reputation in the Taylor district are attributes the board is looking for.”

Current Supt. Robert L. French will retire June 30 after four years on the job. The district serves 30,000 students and had a 1998-99 budget of $150 million.