Superintendent Diana Rigby, left, at the Carpinteria Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 10. The Board of Trustees rescinded Rigby’s January contract extension, done in closed session, and approved the contract in open session on Tuesday night.
Superintendent Diana Rigby, left, at the Carpinteria Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 10. The Board of Trustees rescinded Rigby’s January contract extension, done in closed session, and approved the contract in open session on Tuesday night. Credit: Evelyn Spence / Noozhawk photo

The Carpinteria Unified School Board of Trustees on Tuesday rescinded its Jan. 13 closed-session approval of Superintendent Diana Rigby’s contract extension before unanimously approving the three-year contract extension in open session.

Board president Andy Sheaffer apologized for any confusion.

He said the original approval in closed session was “a mistake on our part.” 

Carpinteria Association of United School Employees No. 2216 president Jay Hotchner had said the closed-session contract approval was a violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act, open meeting laws that apply to local government agencies, including school boards. 

Hotchner also criticized the board’s vote to extend Rigby’s contract, calling it a “poor decision.” 

Carpinteria Association of United School Employees #2216 President Jay Hotchner, pictured during the Carpinteria School Board’s Feb. 10 meeting, called the decision to extend the superintendent’s contract a “poor decision.”
Carpinteria Association of United School Employees No. 2216 president Jay Hotchner, pictured during the Carpinteria school board’s Feb. 10 meeting, called the decision to extend the superintendent’s contract a “poor decision.” Credit: Evelyn Spence / Noozhawk photo

He also questioned why a copy of the contract was not attached to the March 10 meeting’s agenda. A note on the agenda states that a copy of the contract is available upon request. 

The district provided a copy of that contract to Noozhawk via email. 

The new contract contains a 3% salary increase to $224,536, effective July 1, and extends Rigby’s employment with the district through June 30, 2029. It includes all health and insurance benefits, as well as 100% of contributions to the CalSTRS retirement system.

Sheaffer threw his support behind the contract extension.

Speaking to Rigby, he said: “I think you’re doing a great job, Diana, and I think you’re the right person to lead our district at this time.”

Rigby has been with the district since 2017.

— Noozhawk South County editor Evelyn Spence can be reached at espence@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.