Michael Audet is returning to the Chilliwack school district – as superintendent.
The former assistant superintendent, who after 29 years with the school district retired at the end of 2010, has been rehired temporarily by the Chilliwack Board of Education as superintendent.
Audet will be replacing outgoing superintendent Corinne McCabe almost immediately on a one-year contract.
McCabe, who had originally set November as her retirement date, has moved up the date to July 31 at the request of the board.
The board felt a summer transition of the superintendent would provide the district with more consistency of district operations.
"We felt it was most important that we had someone in place for school start up who would be able to take the school district through the entire 2011-2012 school year," said board chair Doug McKay. "With Corinne leaving in November, that wasn't going to happen."
Also, because this is an election year, trustees felt the new board, elected in November, should choose the next superintendent.
The board contacted Audet, believing he was their best option for an interim replacement given his long history with the school district. As well, by hiring Audet, no other district jobs would be disrupted.
"We wanted to disrupt the school district as little as we possibly could," said McKay. "And if in fact we were to offer the opportunity to either one of the present assistant superintendents, we would have had to backfill their positions for a year. Now, no one else's job is interrupted."
The board believes with the appointment of Audet, many of the innovations and initiatives implemented by superintendent McCabe will continue to move forward in a seamless and transparent manner.
The board will begin their search for a permanent superintendent in January 2012.