RANCHO SANTA FE — “It is a very different summer,” said Lindy Delaney, superintendent of the Rancho Santa Fe School District.
Indeed, it is the first summer in several years the district has not been in the throes of construction.
“It’s quiet. We’re shampooing carpeting. Just routine maintenance. It’s nice,” she told the board at its July 5 meeting.
She said D.W. Driver, which did the construction and renovation on the new school, has a few finishing touches to complete.
“Then we will be giving them their last check (for $354,000),” she said.
After a few bumps, the stadium seating in the performing arts center is complete and the seats are still for sale at $1,000 each, which gets the donor’s name on the back of the chair and helps defray the cost of the retractable seating.
“That doesn’t mean the person gets the seat for every performance,” Delaney said. “That just gets the name.”
About 70 of the 300 seats have been named.
Delaney, who has been with the district for more than 23 years, had her contract renewed for next four years, it was announced at the meeting.
Because of the state’s financial crisis, she has not received a raise since 2008 and will continue the next four years without one. Her compensation will be $181,012 per year. She will continue to get health insurance, a car allowance of $400 a month, and a cell phone allowance of $200 a month.
In addition to her duties as superintendent, she has also taken on additional duties as middle school principal for the past several years because of budget cuts.
Planning is under way for next year and it looks as if several grades will need to be split. In the second grade there are 61 students so far; in the third grade there are 62; in fourth grade there are 75; in fifth grade there are 81; and in sixth grade there are 91.
“I have been interviewing for a new science teacher,” Delaney said.
Other teachers are needed as well.
“Because so many of our kids who are going into sixth grade are in accelerated math, a new teacher is needed,” she said.
In the area of personnel, one employee has requested a deduction of his salary.
“I’ve never had this happen in my 23 years here,” Delaney said with a laugh.
She explained that Reinholdt Foster, “who can fix anything,” and who is now eligible to receive Social Security, is now limited to amount of money he can earn without losing his benefits. Foster, who has been employed at the district for more than two decades, asked his salary be reduced from $23 an hour to $15 an hour.
