White set to be axed tonight

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The Gallup-McKinley County Public School Board is expected this evening to discuss a possible buyout of the contract for school superintendent Karen White.

School board members have remained quiet about talks that have been going on between the board and White behind closed doors in recent weeks but sources in the school district are saying that a deal has been worked out that would have White resign at the end of the school year in exchange of a buyout of her contract.

White still has two years to go on her current contract but she has reportedly agreed to accept a buyout totaling one year's salary, which is about $117,000.

There have been tensions between White and the school board ever since Annie Descheny and Genevieve Jackson were elected to the board in February, replacing two of White's biggest supporters. Both Descheny and Jackson have been extremely critical at board meetings of many policies of the school district enacted during White's years as superintendent.

The question of who would replace White is still very much up in the air, although having White stay on until June 30 will give the board a few weeks to make a decision.

While a search is expected to begin immediately for a new superintendent, the board will be hindered by the fact that most other school districts looking for superintendents have already chosen one for next year or in the process of selecting one.

Back in January, the school board agreed to rehire White for the next year and at that time, school board members said the reason it was done at that time each year was because if the board decided not to rehire, the district would have time to seek a new superintendent and have him or her on board by July 1.