Calvin J. Watts will start his job as Kent School District superintendent on July 1 and will make $250,000 a year.
The Kent School Board unanimously approved the three-year contract at its meeting Wednesday night.
The board agreed in March to hire Watts, who is an assistant superintendent for Gwinnett County Public Schools in Suwanee, Ga., but needed to negotiate a start date and contract.
Board president Debbie Straus said she was pleased with the outcome of the negotiations.
“He is absolutely, extremely excited to be here, to work with us, and so it was a very good process,” she said.
Watts will also receive up to $20,000 to cover relocation expenses. He is required to live within the Kent School District boundaries as stipulated by the contract.
In addition to his salary, Watts will get $850 per month to “defray costs incurred in using his automobile for official travel in-district and within 50 miles (one way) of the administration building.”
He will also receive 25 days of paid vacation per year, of which he will be required to take 10 days per year, and 12 days of annual sick leave. The superintendent will receive a district-sponsored medical examination to certify him fit and competent for his duties.
The contract also states that Watts is “expected to maintain active membership in the business community and at least one civic organization at district expense and to participate actively in other community affairs.”
He will also attend professional meetings at the local state and national level. Watts will be eligible, with prior board approval, for up to five days of discretionary time for consultative work, lecturing, speaking engagements or other professional duties and obligations.
The board will evaluate Watts’ performance as superintendent each June. If the board decides not to renew the contract beyond July 1, 2018, it must give Watts written notice a year beforehand.
Watts succeeds Edward Lee Vargas, who was superintendent in Kent for six years until leaving the post in October to accept a job as executive vice president of AVID, a national nonprofit college readiness program in California. Vargas was making $263,320 annually.
Tony Apostle, a retired Puyallup School District superintendent who has been serving as interim superintendent since Vargas’ departure, will continue in the district’s top post and help Watts transition into the position. The district is working with Watts to arrange for him to spend time with Apostle before Watts assumes his duties as superintendent, Straus said.
Watts will be in Kent for the National School Board Association technology site visit April 29 to May 1, which includes attending the district’s annual Technology Expo at the ShoWare Center on April 30.
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LINK: Watts’ contract can be viewed online.
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