School Board agrees to auto-renew superintendent’s contract

Palm Beach County School Board members asked Superintendent Robert Avossa what they need to do to make sure he stays, and on Wednesday he gave specifics: He wants a contract that automatically renews and the same raise received by the district’s administrators.

Avossa, who earns $325,000 a year, said he is happy in the job and is not looking elsewhere. But he said he wants the security of knowing that a good evaluation means his hard work will be rewarded.

“I am incredibly competitive,” he told the board at a retreat at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth. “I hate to lose.”

Board member Frank Barbieri, acting as chairman in November, had placed an item on the board agenda offering a $10,000 raise to Avossa. Board members balked at having to vote on the item without prior notice, and the Classroom Teachers Association complained that teachers were not getting similar raises.

Avossa agreed not to accept a salary hike this year after the messy rollout.

Still, board members said they want to reward Avossa for his accomplishments. In an evaluation last year, he averaged 3.8 out of 4 in most categories. He earned a perfect score for his financial management skills and 3.6 for student achievement results.

On Wednesday, board members continued to praise him.

“Whatever it takes to keep him here is important to me,” board member Erica Whitfield said.

“Avossa is awesome,” board member Debra Robinson said. But she said she does not favor a contract that renews automatically because it limits the board’s negotiating power.

Avossa, formerly superintendent of Fulton County, Ga., schools, started work in Palm Beach County in July 2015 and at the time was the highest-paid superintendent in the state. He has a five-year contract.

The board agreed to vote on the contract details Feb. 22.