Herald Staff
MONROE — Monroe’s superintendent is stepping down earlier than anticipated.
Fredrika Smith, who previously announced she was leaving the district in July, has stepped down effective immediately, the district announced Thursday. There was no explicit reason given for the unexpected decision, but school board members cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a factor, they wrote in a letter to staff and families.
Assistant Superintendent Justin Blasko was selected in February to replace Smith. He took over as superintendent Thursday.
“Even though this transition in leadership is happening earlier than we had originally planned, we remain confident that Dr. Blasko stepping into the role of superintendent will be a seamless process,” school board members wrote in a letter to district staff and families.
Blasko’s emergency 3-month contract runs until July 1. He’s being paid $57,000.
A salary for his next contract has not been set.
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