Contract Extended For Schools Chief

HAHNVILLE, La. (AP) — Rodney Lafon will serve as superintendent of the St. Charles Parish public school district until at least 2016 under a contract extension approved by the School Board.

The Times-Picayune reports (http://bit.ly/M0L1yx) the four-year extension was approved after the board went into executive session to review Lafon's performance.

The contract, which had been set to expire Dec. 31, will now extend until June 13, 2016.

"We really gave him the maximum allowed by law, which I think is a reflection of our satisfaction with his performance," board President Alex Suffrin said.

School boards can extend a superintendent's contract as long as two years into board members' next term in office.

Suffrin said no changes were made to Lafon's contract terms — he currently earns a base of $170,282 a year. However, he will receive an automatic adjustment on July 1 based on the consumer price index, which will raise his pay approximately $2,600.

Lafon receives another approximately $4,400 in state-funded supplemental pay from the Professional Improvement Program.

As part of his contract, Lafon also receives a $10,000-a-year automobile allowance. The district also pays his membership dues to professional organizations approved by the board.

Lafon has been superintendent of the 9,600-student system for more than 17 years. Suffrin said the superintendent performed well on his evaluation in the areas of finance and facilities.

"Some of his high points were certainly the finance area. We have a healthy fund balance, particularly with some of the struggles other districts are having," Suffrin said. "I think our facilities are safe, clean, well-maintained and adequate learning environments, so he received good marks there."

___

Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.nola.com