By Blake Rasmussen

Thursday, 15 December 2011

ROUND ROCK — The Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees will discuss Superintendent Jesús Chávez’s contract tonight in a called meeting executive session that is out of step with the normal evaluation process.

“It’s not uncommon for him to be evaluated,” RRISD spokeswoman Joylynn Occhiuzzi said, but added, “For RRISD, historically the contract discussion happens in the spring.”

Occhiuzzi said she did not know what the topic of the executive session would be, and that it was appropriate for board members to withhold comment on personnel matters.

However, a source with knowledge of the meeting tonight said Chávez’s future with the district would be under discussion.

The superintendent is typically evaluated twice during the year, once in the fall and once in the spring, Occhiuzzi said. During Chávez’s tenure, his contract has usually been discussed and amended in February or March.

Board members do not discuss personnel matters, and Board Member Glen Colby’s outgoing voice mail message specifically referenced tonight’s executive session agenda item and said he would not comment.

Chávez was not immediately available for comment.

In March, Chávez’s contract was extended through June 30, 2014. He has received five such extensions and four raises since his original contract, which ran through 2009.

As recently as June, Chávez was named Region XIII superintendent of the year. He also received the award in 2009. Chávez joined RRISD in February 2006, and since then the district has passed two bond programs, raised TAKS scores and received the state’s recognized accountability rating.

Chávez recently faced some controversy when board members and parents spoke out against standards-based grading, a grading system implemented at Ridgeview Middle School and Round Rock High School that caused considerable confusion.

Due in large part to the outcry, Chávez rolled back the grading system Oct. 27 after the system received sharp criticism from board members and parents.

“We are not ready for this. The teachers who aren’t ready for this are hurting our children,” trustee Terri Romere said at an Oct. 20 meeting. “The research is good. The methods are good. The implementation is horrible.”

The board’s regular meeting is at 7:30 p.m. in the Round Rock High School Lecture Hall at 300 Lake Creek Drive. The executive session is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. in the board room of the RRISD Administration Building at 1311 Round Rock Ave., Round Rock.

---