AIKEN --- After a year that was defined by budget and job cuts, Superintendent Beth Everitt got nine votes of confidence that she has the Aiken County school district on track.

The school board unanimously approved a two-year contract extension for Dr. Everitt on Tuesday night after meeting to discuss her 2008-09 evaluation. Dr. Everitt is two years into a three-year contract she received when she joined the district in 2008 from Albuquerque Public Schools.

"I feel it is a vote of confidence," Dr. Everitt said. "I really have to give credit to our staff because they are the ones who do all the hard work."

In the past year, much of Dr. Everitt's focus has been on balancing a budget that was cut a handful of times by the state Legislature, leading to a $12 million deficit.

Board Chairwoman Christine Harkins said in a statement that Dr. Everitt's strong leadership made "extraordinary efforts" in improving student achievement, increasing graduation rates and improving financial management,

Dr. Harkins did not return phone calls for an interview about the evaluation.

Dr. Everitt said the contract extension was granted at her current salary, which was last reported as $166,000 for 2008-09. Her contract now runs through June 30, 2013.

"We did not discuss a salary increase," she said, citing the fact that employees recently suffered cuts. She said that if anyone received a raise, she would rather it be part of a discussion for teachers and not herself.

The contract offers no bonuses for achieving benchmarks. Dr. Everitt said she wouldn't support bonuses if they were offered.

Dr. Everitt began her stint as superintendent by implementing a reading literacy initiative, which included establishing model classrooms in select schools and allowing teachers to share their experience with other teachers, instead of an administrator dictating best practices.

A team of interventionists for English/language arts and math was assembled for all grade levels to work with teachers on interpreting test data to improve lesson plans and classroom setups.

Board member Levi Green said Dr. Everitt has done an "admirable" job in the past two years.

"It's too early to hold her to some of the goals, but everything is measurable and there's nothing indicating we're going in the wrong direction; everything suggests we're heading in the right direction," he said.

Dr. Everitt said she wants to expand literacy models introduced at the elementary level to the middle school through the Middle Grades that Work program, which frames up to 10 school objectives to help prepare middle school pupils for high school and careers.