Granite City School District Superintendent Harry Briggs, who had planned to retire at the end of the current school year, will stay in his job for another year.

The Granite City school board voted Dec. 13 to approve Briggs' request to extend his contract until the end of the 2012-13 school year.

Briggs said he had too much to do to stop working when the 2011-12 school year ends.

"There are a number of projects I want to complete prior to retirement and require my staying one more year," said Briggs, 64, who has been Granite City superintendent since 2007. The most important project will be developing a common set of curriculum standards for the district, Briggs said. Illinois plans to use "core curriculum standards" in place of the national "No Child Left Behind" standards to measure local school districts; the state will request a waiver from the federal standards.

"We're excited about that," said Dennis Burnett, district director of finance. "He'll be able to finish up lots of projects we've got started."

The most important matter is negotiating new union contracts. Had Briggs left at the end of this school year, his last day would have been June 30, 2012, when the contracts run out, Burnett said. He said that would not have been good for negotiation.

Briggs' salary this year is $163,162l. The school board hasn't set a salary for next year.

Prior to being the Granite City superintendent, Briggs was Madison County regional superintendent of schools for 20 years.

The 1965 Granite City High School graduate began his career in education in 1969 as a sixth-grade teacher in the former Nameoki Elementary School. He later became principal at Niedringhaus Elementary School before being elected regional superintendent in 1986.

Contact reporter Jim Merkel at 618-344-0264, ext. 138