LEBANON - The Lebanon Community School District will be in the hands of Assistant Superintendent Steve Kelley while Superintendent Jim Robinson is on leave, not Ken Ray as proposed last week, the Lebanon School Board has decided.

The board will hold a work session Sept. 18 for more discussion on the independent review of the district that will be done in Robinson's absence.

Board Chairwoman Sherrie Sprenger named Kelley acting superintendent on Monday, saying the board agreed unanimously to follow legal advice.

"This is a ball that got rolling too fast," she said.

Board members voted 3-0

Aug. 1 to place Robinson on paid administrative leave pending a review of his administration. On Aug. 13, the board tapped Ray, the head principal at Lebanon High School, to be interim superintendent.

Board members met with the district's lawyer before Monday's meeting.

School board policy states the assistant superintendent becomes acting superintendent "in the event the superintendent is to be absent from the district."

"At this time this board is assigning those duties to Assistant Superintendent Steve Kelley," Sprenger told the audience in the public session following the attorney meeting.

Ray said following the meeting he was honored to have been considered and would entertain the idea if it comes up again.

Board members discussed what the district's review should include. Rick Alexander asked for performance audits of special education, vocational and athletic programs. Debi Shimmin wanted information on opportunities teachers have to communicate their issues. Sprenger said she'd like community input.

Members were careful not to link the review to any specific evaluation of Robinson's performance. Instead, they said, they want a "fact-finding group" to evaluate key district issues and community concerns.

Two potential reviewers, labor attorney Kathy Peck of Lake Oswego and former superintendent and consultant Al Dividian of Vancouver, Wash., gave presentations on what they'd bring to the effort.

Board member Chris Fisher protested, saying he will not be a part of a potentially costly and time-consuming action that he believes the board should undertake itself.

"I am not going to vote for any of this," he said.