Board does not renew Cortez’s contract



By RUTH HEIDE

SAN LUIS — The Centennial School Board on Thursday decided not to renew Superintendent Diana Cortez’s contract for the 2008-2009 year.

Cortez had been superintendent for the Centennial district for three years.

Centennial School Board President Michelle Gallegos on Friday confirmed that the board took official action Thursday night to not renew Cortez’s contract.

Gallegos said she could not discuss the reasons for the board decision because it was a personnel issue.

Gallegos said the board would probably select an interim superintendent until a permanent choice could be made but the board has not yet decided who the interim superintendent will be. Centennial does not have an assistant superintendent.

Gallegos said the school board would be advertising the superintendent’s position in the newspaper as well as with specific educational groups such as the Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Association of School Boards and Colorado Association of School Executives.

“We are going to have to find an interim first,” Gallegos said. She said the board wants to take time to select the most appropriate superintendent candidate for the long term. “We want to make sure we find somebody that’s wanting to stay here,” she said.

The new school building expected to be completed by the beginning of the 2009 school year should provide a draw for potential superintendent candidates. Gallegos said beginning Monday construction activity should be visible. “It looks like everything is going to start moving pretty quickly,” she said. “We are excited about our new school building.”

The school district broke ground last month on an $11.2 million building that voters approved in a bond issue last November. The district also qualified for a $5 million grant from the Colorado Department of Education Capital Construction Grant Program to assist with the construction costs.

The new school is being constructed just north of the current facility and will be large enough to house 400 students.

Superintendent Cortez helped the Class of 2020 break ground for the new school last month and spoke during the groundbreaking ceremonies.

Cortez replaced former Superintendent Emily Romero who resigned following a recall election in 2005. Following the recall a new school board took office in May of that year, and Gallegos became the new school board president. Donna Briones served as acting administrator in the interim and was one of the finalists interviewed by the board for the permanent position along with Cortez, retired Centauri Superintendent Kurt Cary, retired North Conejos Principal Antonio Sandoval and Joe P. Garcia, a corporate executive.

The end of June in 2005 the board hired Diana Cortez as superintendent through an annual contract to be reviewed each June. At the time the board stated it hired Cortez because of her 30 years educational experience and her residency in Costilla County. She was a descendant of one of San Luis’ first families, the Romeros.

Cortez grew up in San Luis, attended Adams State and other colleges in Colorado and worked in Utah for two decades before returning to her home state.

After she was hired Cortez said she had not intended to become superintendent but was asked by community members and school board members to apply. She said at the time she could think of no better way to end her career than by coming home. She also said at that time she did not know how long she would remain in the position of superintendent but wanted to help the school district get back on its feet.

In a September 2005, interview Cortez said, “Every crisis has its lessons, and we learn them. We come out stronger.”