Southern Kern extends Gaines’ contract
ROSAMOND — Southern Kern Unified School District trustees extended Superintendent Barbara Gaines’ contract through June 2023 under a contract amendment approved Wednesday night.
The Board hired Gaines last year. The amendment extends Gaines’ initial two-year contract by another two years.
Gaines’ base salary will increase from $159,000 to $163,770 as of July 1.
“I am extremely grateful to the Southern Kern Unified School District Board of Trustees for the extended contract, Gaines wrote in an email.
“I am fortunate that I have a progressive board that cares deeply about doing what is best for the children,”
Gaines wrote. “My first year was challenging, but at the same time very rewarding. I have learned a lot. I am very pleased that we now have a positive certification even though we are facing dire budget cuts over the next two years. My Cabinet and I know we have to stay focused on being fiscally solvent and creating a healthy reserve
while meeting the needs of our students.”
Gaines added that Southern Kern will likely return to school on Aug. 12 implementing a blended learning model, based on the California Department of Education’s “Stronger Together” guidebook for reopening schools.
“Currently, I am meeting with CSEA, RTA, Cabinet and of course the Board of Trustees to assess the various models discussed in the guidebook so that we can make an informed decision on which model, or a version there of, best meets the needs of our students and the community,” she wrote. “Student and staff safety is of grave concern, but I cannot forget about the learning loss that occurred during the past few months of distance learning. We are fortunate that our students in grades three to 12 have either a Chromebook or a Laptop and are used to receiving instruction from their teachers using the Google Classroom platform.
“My goal for the 2020-21 school year is to return students to a traditional learning experience, at least a few days a week,” Gaines wrote. “Our teachers in SKUSD are competent and well trained in using digital curriculum and this was extremely beneficial during the COVID-19, but it is the personal relationships that the students build with their teachers that you cannot put a dollar amount on. It is very important that our children are able to return to an environment where they can maintain friendships with classmates and learn. This is critical if we want to continue students’ social and emotional well-being.”