By Jeff Hudson
Enterprise staff writer
The Davis Enterprise

The Davis school board made multiple administrative changes on Thursday night, involving posts at the district office, Emerson Junior High and Pioneer Elementary.

At the district office, Kevin French has expanded duties in the newly redesigned job of associate superintendent for human resources and secondary education. French, who had been serving as assistant superintendent for human resources, will have additional duties, providing administrative oversight for the district's junior highs, high schools, the Davis School for Independent Study and the Davis Adult School.
French has a three-year contract, at $142,000 per year. He came to the district in 2006 as director of student services, and has served as a high school principal in the Fairfield-Suisun school district.

In another district office move, Clark Bryant also has expanded duties in the new position of assistant superintendent for instructional services and elementary education. Bryant had been serving as director of curriculum and instruction — he still has those duties in the new position, and will provide administrative oversight over the district's elementary school programs.

Bryant has a three-year contract, at $127,500 per year. He came to the district in 2000 as principal at Pioneer Elementary in Davis, and previously served as an elementary principal in the Elk Grove school district.

Disappearing in this reorganization is the post of associate superintendent for educational services, which had been held by Ginni Davis. Davis has taken a job as associate superintendent in the Palo Alto school district, starting in July.

Superintendent James Hammond told the school board that the reorganization will save the district "about $175,000 in year one, and about $150,000 per year ongoing."

"I like the part about saving money," quipped trustee Richard Harris — who, like the other trustees, has faced the glum task of discussing revenue reductions and rising costs at meeting after meeting this year.

The board also recognized Mila Spengler, who is retiring from her post as director of special education, but promptly rehired her as the part-time co-director of special education. In her new post, she will work the equivalent of 25 percent of full-time. The remaining 75 percent of the position will be filled by staff psychologist Gay Bourguignon.

"Mila, congratulations on your retirement, and welcome back," said school board president Sheila Allen, smiling as she handed Spengler a gift.

The school board also voted to hire Priscilla Via, longtime vice principal at Emerson Junior High, as Emerson's interim principal for the coming school year. In addition, the board voted to hire longtime Emerson counselor Carolyn Kennedy as interim vice principal (working 80 percent of full time, retaining 20 percent of full time as a counselor). Diane Studley, who has been principal at Emerson since 2002, is stepping down at the end of the school year.

The school board also accepted the resignation of Donna Wix, who has been principal at Pioneer Elementary for two years. Wix is moving to rural Lassen County, where she will be principal of a Susanville school serving grades K-3, with roughly the same number of students as Pioneer.