When the SD67 board of education meets Monday, there’s going to be an item on the agenda they hadn’t expected.

On Sept. 11, former school superintendent Gary Doi submitted a letter to the board detailing his intention to step down from his position as organizer for next year’s Summer Leadership conference — releasing the board from a $52,500 contract they signed with him earlier this year.

“I will no longer serve as the 2010 conference organizer and chair and will relinquish that responsibility, effective immediately,” said Doi in his letter, explaining that his stepping down was in response to the controversy about his contract.

“I was disappointed to hear of the distortions and misinformation being published about the conference. As well, I thought it was unfair that the Board was being criticized in this matter. “

Doi originated the conference five years ago, trying to fill what he saw as a gap in professional leadership training and development for the education community.

His purpose, Doi said, was to develop a conference where all education partners could come together in one place to talk and learn about new and emerging educational issues.

The conference was an immediate success, and became solidly established with educators across the province, drawing teachers, administrators and parents on a yearly basis.

Larry Little, chair of the School DIstrict 67 board of education, described having the conference in Penticton as a win-win situation. Not only did it bring world class speakers and educators to the local education community, the conference actually generated a profit as well as raising funds for charity, including the District Parent Advisory Committee.

“Gary gives all the money from the entertainment to DPAC to help us out, to help the parent associations,” said Daryl Clarke, president of the SD67 DPAC. “There are a lot of spinoffs that really benefit our community that people are choosing to ignore.”

When Doi retired from his post as School District 67 superintendent in July, the board — desiring to keep the successful convention going — retained Doi’s services as a consultant to continue organizing and chairing the conference.

Little explained that the $52,500 for the contract was being drawn from the conference’s $250,000 budget, which was kept deliberately kept separate from the SD67 operating budget.

“It comes directly from revenue from the conference,” said Little, explaining that the board was not taking money intended for education to pay Doi’s contract.