BHUSD Board to Vote on New Superintendent

The Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education is expected to vote Tuesday night to approve a contract to hire Gary Woods as the district’s new superintendent, starting July 1.

Woods was the superintendent of the San Marino Unified School District until SMUSD of his contract earlier this month after learning that he was a finalist for the BHUSD position. The SMUSD has ranked No. 1 in California’s academic performance scores for the last seven years.

According to the nine-page contract posted as a link on the BHUSD website, Woods will earn $249,000 a year, with a $500 monthly auto allowance for using his car for district business. He will receive 22 days of paid vacation and 12 days of sick leave each year, along with standard BHUSD health, dental and disability benefits. The four-year contract ends June 30, 2015.

It is unclear whether the posted salary is an increase from the BHUSD’s prior superintendent contracts. The district has had trouble holding onto superintendents; most in the last decade lasted less than two years.

Woods’ salary is a bit more than the to the new superintendent of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, another high-performing district in Los Angeles County. However, the SMMUSD contract also offers a $900 monthly cellphone and auto allowance and up to $12,000 in relocation costs.

BHUSD acting superintendent has served in his position since last summer and many community and PTA leaders had asked for him to be kept on for another year. Several board members, however, told Patch that they wanted to hire a permanent superintendent as soon as possible.

Woods may be a familiar name to some local parents; he was a runner-up in the 2005 search for a BHUSD superintendent.

Check back with Patch on Wednesday for coverage of the Board of Education vote.

Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook.