Contract extensions for the superintendent, K-8 principal and an assistant principal were approved this week by the Suttons Bay Board of Education.

Board members, with trustee Liz Venie absent, voted unanimously to approve a 3-year contract with Superintendent Michael Murray through the end of the 2010 school year. It replaces a short-term contract signed when Murray was selected as the district’s chief administrator in December. the new pact has same rate of compensation, $105,567, and a cash payment in lieu of the district’s health insurance.

The contract was recommended by the board’s personnel committee after evaluating Murray’s performance since coming to the district in January.

Committee members Sue Corbin and Tom Nixon III noted the superintendent’s ability to not just study a situation, but act.

“He’s got a complement of character and skills which have allowed him to accomplish so much in such a short period of time,” Nixon said. “Mike has a balance of study and action. We made a great choice with this guy as our superintendent.”

Murray said there was little time for study.

“I couldn’t wait. Something had to happen immediately. Time was not an available luxury,” he said. “I had to jump right in.”

Accomplished objectives identified by the committee were identification of strengths and weaknesses in physical plant, and instruction. Murray and staff will offer an extended preschool program at the school this fall and acted quickly to offer day care to parents when Sandbox Academy announced that it will be closing June 15.

“We’re beginning to build our population up, starting with pre-primary students,” Corbin said. “Mike is moving offices around is leasing available space and is working to secure a long-term lease with the Secretary of State for the former superintendent’s office.”

Changes to the original contract included making the superintendent’s evaluation an ongoing process rather than just once a year, and the addition of a clause that reimburses Murray for each mile traveled for school business. The previous contract only offered reimbursement when traveling out of the Intermediate School District.

In related business Monday night, board members approved a 1-year contract for Cody Inglis to serve as assistant principal under K-8 Principal Roger Arvo. Inglis, who also serves as the school’s athletic director, had been working in the capacity for the past semester.

Under the contract, he will receive $49,402 for his administrative role, which will essentially focus on students in grades 5-8. The pay level would increase to $52,627 if he were to complete his master’s degree by September. In addition, he will receive $9,000 for work as athletic director and will no longer be coaching track or cross country.

“I took the salary he’d be receiving as coach and applied it toward his salary,” Murray said. “That way he won’t be losing money by taking on an administrative role.”

He will be supervised in his role as athletic director by high school Principal Raphael Rittenhouse. Arvo will act as Inglis’ supervisor in his role as assistant principal, Murray said.

A 2-year contract, good through June 30, 2009, was approved for Arvo, setting his annual salary at $79,082.