District offers schools chief two-year contract

The Sisters School Board has offered Lynn Baker of Cashmere, Washington, a two-year contract as Sisters Superintendent of Schools.

Baker has been serving as interim superintendent since contract negotiations with candidate Charles Hellman fell apart last spring. The board sought to fill the position before too much time had elapsed and an extensive search had to be conducted.

According to Glen Lasken, school board chairman, there is a pool of potential interim candidates that the Oregon School Board Association has "in their vest pocket" at any given time. This is how the board found Baker.

"We didn't do on-site visits and for that reason we did the interim contract," said Lasken. "The budget isn't really put together until next spring which also underscores why we're doing a two-year contract. We haven't really had a chance to see him in action with budget matters."

The negotiations are being handled informally. There is no written contract yet. A tentative salary of $91,800 has been informally offered.

"Dr. Baker had some requests which we have evaluated and sent back to him. The ball is pretty much in his court right now," said Lasken. "I'm very confident that we'll reach a term of agreement with him in the next couple of weeks."

Baker has 30 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in the state of Washington. He has a doctorate in education administration.

The biggest challenge facing the superintendent will be to manage the finances of the district given the uncertainty the Oregon system imposes.

Lasken says, for example, that the district doesn't know how much the voters are going to give them to work with.

A referendum on a temporary tax increase that would sustain school funding is expected to make the ballot in February.

If the tax proposal is rejected, schools may have to make do with less funding.

Also, Baker is not familiar with the Oregon finance system, Lasken noted.

"He'll have to learn it," said Lasken.

The next challenge is how to improve on a district that's already in good shape.

"It's not as though he's coming onto the Titanic after it has hit the iceberg," Lasken said. "How do you step into something like that and shine?"

The school board chairman concluded, "Dr. Baker is wise and conservative in his approach. I'm optimistic that he'll work out.

"I feel he's someone I can trust."