Lockport District 205 board extends Superintendent McBride’s contract

Lockport — The Lockport Township High School District 205 board voted at its meeting on June 17 to extend the contract of Superintendent Dr. Robert McBride by an additional year, more than a year before it was set to expire.

McBride’s contract was set to expire on June 30, 2025, however, the board asked him to extend his tenure with the district for another year “in order to meet several board priorities,” according to a statement from District 205.

McBride has been spearheading efforts throughout the past school year to improve Central Campus through a referendum measure, which was voted down by voters in March, and the reconstruction of the ceilings after a collapse in November left the building unusable for most of the school year.

The repairs on the ceiling will be completed over the summer so the new freshman class can start the 2024-25 school year in the 115-year-old building in August. Further renovations, however, are still being planned.

The district discussed several possibilities for acquiring funding to make life safety improvements to Central Campus and improve the space at a special meeting in May, but the renovations likely would not begin until spring or summer 2025.

In the district’s statement, the board noted the district will have several senior leaders retire while it is “engaged in major finance and facilities planning and steps,” which contributed to the desire to extend McBride’s contract.

According to the district statement, “board members felt securing the services of an experienced superintendent now would establish stability over the next two years in terms of hiring, planning, and leadership.”

The change will also allow any new board members elected in spring 2025 to participate in the search for a new superintendent in 2026.

“The board is very fortunate and grateful to Dr. McBride in agreeing to stay at LTHS D205,” Board President Ann Lopez-Caneva said in the release. “The board recognizes Dr. McBride’s many significant accomplishments since joining the district on July 1, 2019, and we look forward to seeing him continue to serve the district as the superintendent.”

The new contract begins on July 1, and expires on June 30, 2026. It includes a base salary of $238,110.08 for the 2024-25 contract year and a base salary of $247,634.48 for the 2025-26 contract year, according to the district. The contract also establishes performance goals and benefits for the superintendent.

“Lockport Township High School District 205 is a dynamic and accomplished high school district. I am honored to be a part of it, and I am excited to serve the district in a time when new leaders will be hired and mentored, stability in leadership will be important, and future planning will be underway,” McBride said in the statement from the district. “Our district’s focus on students and what they need is what keeps me energized to be a part of public education. At the end of the day, it is about creating opportunities, now and in the future, for our youth.”