![](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="600" height="94"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
ELKO – A contract with Clayton Anderson to become the permanent superintendent of the Elko County School District will be negotiated now that the school board has reaffirmed his appointment following agenda questions after the first attempt to move him beyond interim status.
“I believe the timing is right now that we have an agenda wording that is specific to what we are looking at,” Trustee Matt McCarty said on March 15 before making a motion to offer Anderson the permanent superintendent position.
His motion also stated that the committee to negotiate a contract with Anderson will be the board president, Teresa Dastrup, and trustees Ira Wines and Susan Neal. They were the three who negotiated his interim contract. Anderson’s contract will come back for final action.
When trustees met on March 8, McCarty questioned the agenda wording that didn’t specifically say the board would be looking at appointing Anderson, and he voted against the action to appoint Anderson at that time. Trustee Susan Neal also voted nay on March 8.
The agenda for March 8 stated: “any action deemed appropriate to the evaluation of Interim Superintendent Anderson.”
The March 15 vote to appoint Anderson was unanimous on the agenda item that states: “discussion and possible appointment of C.J. Anderson as permanent superintendent of schools.”
“I think it is a great move. He is doing a great job,” said Neal, who was concerned about the timing of the original action.
Trustee Jeff Durham reiterated that he thought Anderson has done a good job as interim superintendent, but he was “glad we have a much more clear agenda item.”
Dastrup told Anderson that “it looks like you have a lot of support,” and she said the board came back to “discuss openly” the better-worded agenda item regarding the superintendent position.
She told the Free Press on March 9 that the agenda item for March 8 was written just the way it has been in the past for decisions on naming a superintendent, but “we don’t want any concerns like issues with the open meeting law, and we want the public to have a chance to see it (the agenda) in more detail and give feedback.”
In public comment on March 15, Sharon LeBarts of Spring Creek said the original agenda item on Anderson violated the state statute on open meetings, and she said Dastrup responded at the March 8 meeting to Hoffman’s concerns in “what could be considered an arrogant manner.”
LeBarts said that “the public has made it clear that our board has not been acting in a clear, concise, transparent manner … Think of the board, Teresa. Resign.”
Anderson took over as interim superintendent on Dec. 14 to replace another interim superintendent, Jeff Zander, a retired superintendent who came back temporarily when former Superintendent Michele Robinson resigned last year.
