PICKENS COUNTY — After discussing the matter during an executive session, members of the School District of Pickens County’s Board of Trustees voted 3-2 to extend the contract of Superintendent Dr. Henry Hunt.

Trustees Alex Saitta, Dr. Hubert Cooper and Judy Edwards vote in favor of renewing the contract, while Trustees Ben Trotter and Jimmie Gillespie voted against the motion. Trustee Jim Shelton was not yet at the meeting.

Saitta said that Hunt’s past performance was reason enough to vote for the renewal

“The district has faced two difficult issues: buildings and the budget,” Saitta said “The district and board have had disagreements on the budget, but we are working through them thanks to Dr. Hunt.”

Saitta gave Hunt and Bob Folkman, coordinator of the district’s building program, credit for getting the projects in line.

“The building program is on schedule and on budget,” Saitta said. “Thanks to Dr. Hunt and Bob Folkman it is no longer consuming district time and focus and it has allowed all of us to get back to our primary focus of educating the children.”

Hunt has one year remaining on his TERI contract, meaning a new superintendent will need to be named for the 2012-2013 school year.