will extend a

to assist with union negotiations up to another year.

If the district keeps Yvonne Deckard through June 2014, it will have paid her $360,000 since first hiring her in July 2012 and

. District spokesman Robb Cowie said Portland schools may not retain her services for the entire duration if negotiations wrap up earlier.

A form for the latest contract amendment, however, signals Deckard could be a longtime fixture. Because the negotiations for "all District union contracts" may still be occurring in June 2014, wrote Sean Murray, the district's chief human resources officer, "there may be a need to extend the contract after the twelve month date."

Yvonne Deckard

For this school year, Deckard earned nearly as much as the annual salary of Superintendent Carole Smith, which is $190,000. Deckard was human resources director for more than a third of her 30-year career at the city of Portland, where she was also able to secure a no-bid contract last year. She retired in 2012 and receives $10,843 a month through the Public Employees Retirement System.

The district pays Deckard a flat rate of $15,000-a-month but does not track her hours or require her to explicitly turn in any specific written product. Deckard on Tuesday said her past few months of work with the district have averaged about 28 hours a week, giving the district a discount since her consulting rate for public agencies starts at $300 an hour.

Deckard said she charges what she believes is a competitive market rate for her experience and expertise. "I don't feel like the value isn't there," said Deckard.

Portland schools says it needs Deckard's experience as a labor expert with the city of Portland as it

, and its union for clerical staff, the Portland Federation of School Professionals. Cowie said Deckard frequently leads meetings and helps officials develop bargaining strategies.

The move to retain Deckard's services for up to an additional year hints at what could be a protracted negotiation process between the district and the teachers. Both sides have

and will meet again Wednesday.

Murray, the chief human resources officer

, said officials hope to reach an agreement within the 150-day bargaining period but need to be prepared if the process takes longer.

"We owe it to the school district to be prepared for anything," said Murray, who worked for Deckard at the city of Portland and now manages her contract.

District policy allows officials to avoid a competitive bidding process if the project requires an "ongoing, long-term relationship of knowledge and trust" or the contractor "possesses unique knowledge and/or expertise in a specialized service area." Out of 156 personal-services contracts for more than $50,000 awarded by the district in 2012, only 17 were non-competitive.

Murray wrote on a district form that Deckard is the only consultant available who has the "specialized experience of successfully leading and completing large union contract negotiations in the Portland market" while managing a large human resources department.

The school board has never voted on her contract because she was initially hired for $90,000, which is lower than the $150,000 threshold that would require a vote under district policy. Instead, her initial contract and its extensions have been included in reports to board members.

In other business, the board voted to

to more accurately reflect the student population.

Board members also

, which reflects an approximate $21 million increase from current spending.

--