Cerritos : ABC Schools Chief Receives Contract Extension, Raise

Larry L. Lucas has received a one-year extension to his contract as superintendent of the ABC Unified School District. The school board approved the extension, which runs through June, 1997, by a 5-1 vote.

Board President Catherine Grant praised Lucas, who has headed the district since 1988, for steering it through painful cost cutting that slashed $9 million from a $76-million budget for 1993-94.

“It’s a pretty hard job to have during this time,” Grant said. She said Lucas had maintained high academic standards despite financial constraints.

Lucas’ contract includes an automatic pay raise that all administrators receive after serving five years. Other employees also receive raises for time served.

But the superintendent’s pay increase, from $108,064 to $109,168, prompted board member Sally Morales Havice to vote against the extension. Havice said it is wrong for Lucas to accept a higher salary so soon after the district approved program and staff cuts as well as a plan to charge students for bus service.

In many school districts, superintendents’ salaries do not include automatic pay raises.

The ABC district of 21,000 students serves Artesia, Cerritos and Hawaiian Gardens and parts of Lakewood, Norwalk and La Palma.