The Altoona Area School Board voted 5-4 to renew Superintendent Charles Prijatelj’s contract, extending his employment through the end of July 2024.

Prijatelj’s current salary is $176,800, and an increase for the first year of his contract will be contingent on his evaluation.

Voting in favor of renewing Prijatelj’s contract were board Vice President Dr. Frank Meloy, Mike Baker, Dave Francis, Rick Hoover and Ron Johnston. Votes against were from board President Sharon Bream, Eric Haugh, Kelly Irwin Adams and Ed Kreuz.

Prijatelj became the district’s superintendent in 2016 after serving as superintendent of the Tuscarora School District for three years. He will begin his three-year extension on Aug. 1.

Irwin Adams expressed her disagreement with a renewal of Prijatelj’s contract, giving a prepared statement before the board’s vote.

“I cannot support renewing Dr. Prijatelj’s contract because he has not performed or fulfilled the duties outlined in his previous contract,” Irwin Adams said. “It’s hard to extend a new contract without having goals in place.” Irwin Adams said “board communication and relations” are where Prijatelj has fallen short.

Others, including Rick Hoover, backed Prijatelj.

“Do I want to go to a ballgame and sit next to Chuck? Sure, maybe,” Hoover said. “But, do I want him as the superintendent? The answer is yes.”

Hoover added he believes it’s simply impractical not to renew Prijatelj’s contract in the wake of current circumstances.

“Now is not the time for a school district to be out looking for a new superintendent,” Hoover said, referring to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Hoover praised Prijatelj’s handling of the pandemic’s effect on the school year, also expressing gratitude to the administration and all district employees “that it takes to make this district run” during these times.

The board also voted 8-1 in favor of an agreement with the Altoona Area Education Association for a one-year agreement with the teachers’ union for an approximate 2.2% raise for all instructional faculty.

Voting in favor of the agreement were Meloy, Ba­­­­ker, Francis, Haugh, Hoover, Irwin Adams, Johnston and Kreuz.

The lone vote against was from Bream.

Mirror Staff Writer Andrew Mollenauer is at 814-946-7428.