SUPERINTENDENT RETIRING FROM HART.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Hart district Superintendent Robert C. Lee has announced he will retire effective Aug. 1, 2005, but will likely remain as a consultant well after that to help in the transition.

Lee, who came to the district in 1995 from Moreno Valley, has led the district through a time of tumultuous growth. Student population nearly doubled and facilities have expanded to meet the area's growing educational needs. Rio Norte and Rancho Pico junior high schools and Golden Valley and West Ranch high schools have opened during his tenure.

``He was instrumental in many of our construction project successes and in building a financial foundation for the district,'' said school board member Patricia Hanrion. ``The only word I can use is wizard. There are things that would not have happened for students if it was not for him.''

School board members have been readying themselves for the announcement since contract talks with Lee in November. But when he made initial noises about leaving last fall, board members were caught by surprise.

``He told us that he really felt it was time to retire,'' Hanrion recalled. ``We had just finished his evaluation and were ready to extend his contract. We were in shock then.''

``Bob Lee is just an outstanding superintendent,'' said board member Dennis King. ``He is very low key and never toots his own horn. He gives the people under him authority, even though some people wanted him to be more autocratic and assertive. He has certainly succeeded with the building projects and improvement of the regular curriculum.''

The board has set up a series of ad hoc groups of various representatives from the community - from teacher union representatives, to site administrators, parents and community leader groups - to discuss the future direction of the William S. Hart Union High School District.

Lee's announcement prefaced those committee announcements.

Lee's replacement may already be waiting in the wings, as the board is not planning to launch a national search until local candidates are considered.

``We have leadership academies, and all the seminars and conferences I've attended say if you have a leader within the district, it's best to promote someone who already knows the system,'' Hanrion said. ``We need a strong candidate, because Hart's reputation is huge in the state and the nation. If we don't find anyone locally, we can always expand the search nationally.''

Despite the August 2005 end to his superintendent contract, Lee has agreed to serve as a consultant on the district's many construction projects and to help ease the transition for the new person.

``We'll have him around for two or three years at the bare minimum,'' Hanrion said. ``We're working on that contract now.''

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com