Deaf/Blind school chief in new post

From: Salt Lake Tribune - Salt Lake City,UT,USA - May 13, 2004

OGDEN -- The embattled superintendent of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind is taking a new position within the system to satisfy a legislative edict for tighter oversight of the special-needs schools' program.

State School Board officials announced this week that Lee Robinson would become the program director of the Northern Utah Blind Program in Ogden and that a nationwide search is under way for a new USDBS superintendant.

"The role of superintendent, as it existed, has been redefined," says Mark Peterson, spokesman for the state Office of Education.

The move follows a legislative audit of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind that showed the ratio of surplus funds in the school's budget was too high to warrant keeping nine teaching positions vacant during the 2001-2002 school year.

In keeping with the Legislature's recommendations, Peterson said the new superintendent will now report to the state office's special services administrators, who also oversee programs for migrant students and incarcerated youths. The financial and budgetary responsibilities will be handled by finance officers in the state Office of Education.
-- Lori Buttars

© Copyright 2004, The Salt Lake Tribune.