3 Rivers board approves superintendent evaluation summary and superintendent contract

The 3 Rivers School District board approved a summary of Superintendent Dave Valenzuela’s annual evaluation and then voted to approve a negotiated superintendent contract that staff said aligns the superintendent’s pay with the district salary schedule.

The evaluation: Rich Halstead, who presented the evaluation summary to the board, described the document as a compilation of the board’s feedback on Valenzuela’s performance. After a motion to approve the evaluation summary, the board carried the item by voice vote; the minutes show the board recorded an abstention on that motion.

The contract: Halstead told the board the proposed contract "ties to the pay rate, or the pay schedule, that we have going starting from teachers all the way up through administrators all the way to superintendent," explaining the contract keeps the superintendent’s pay consistent with the district’s salary structure. The board moved, seconded and approved the negotiated contract by voice vote.

Why it matters: Approving the evaluation summary is a formal step in superintendent oversight. Approving a contract that explicitly aligns the superintendent’s pay to the district schedule can affect future budget planning, because salary increases for employees cascade into the administrative pay structure as described by staff.

What the record shows: The meeting transcript records voice votes for both items. For the evaluation summary, the public record lists an abstention; the transcript does not include a roll-call tally naming each member’s vote. The contract was approved after discussion and a voice vote. Specific dollar figures or contract terms beyond the pay-schedule linkage were not read into the public record during the meeting.

Ending: Board members said a final copy of the contract is in the packet. The superintendent and board will proceed under the negotiated terms previously shared with members.