Deaf-blind school transfers chief

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), May 12, 2004

Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind Superintendent Lee Robinson, who found himself out of a job following an unflattering financial audit, has taken a different post with the same school.

Robinson will be program director for the North Region School for the Blind, the state Office of Education announced Tuesday. He replaces Dorothy Smith, who retires July 1.

"I look forward to working with the staff there," Robinson said in an interview. "It will be an opportunity to work more closely with the students, and I probably will enjoy that."

Meanwhile, Linda Rutledge, assistant superintendent at the Ogden- based school, will serve as interim superintendent while a search is conducted for a new leader.

"I'm very honored to be offered the position," Rutledge said. "(But) I have mixed emotions. I really enjoyed working with Dr. Robinson and his leadership."

Last winter, a legislative audit of the school found the school kept a budget surplus that was too high and unnecessarily left nine positions unfilled, on which is blamed legislative budget cuts of 2002. The vacancies resulted in increased teacher workloads, higher class sizes and "difficulty providing effective instruction," the audit stated.

The State Board of Education responded last March by tightening its oversight and reorganizing leadership at the school.