Thompson responds to offer to buy out contract

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Tulsa school officials are holding off on the search for a new superintendent until the future of John Thompson is certain. Thompson was named superintendent of Pittsburgh Public

Friday, February 25th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Tulsa school officials are holding off on the search for a new superintendent until the future of John Thompson is certain. Thompson was named superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools earlier this week. School officials there had hoped the Tulsa superintendent could start as early as next week.

Ruth Ann Fate, Tulsa school board president, said Thompson has responded to an offer to buy out the rest of his contract. But she declined to disclose details of either proposal. "We have offered a buyout plan, and we received an initial response from his attorney," Fate said.

The Pittsburgh job comes after a Tulsa school board committee decided last month not to renew Thompson's contract, saying his pursuit of other jobs had created a "divisive" atmosphere. His present contract expires June 30.

The full board was scheduled to vote on the contract Monday at a board meeting. A Tulsa board member had vowed to get 1,000 people to attend the meeting in support of Thompson.

Thompson, a former Kentucky education official, had been a finalist for the chief executive position in the Detroit public school district, one of the nation's largest. Board members there voted unanimously in his favor, but an appointee of the Michigan governor vetoed Thompson's selection.

Fate said the school board hasn't formed a search committee to find an interim superintendent because that would have been inappropriate while Thompson's future was uncertain. "We will move as quickly as we can," she said.