Vicksburg Warren School District Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Duran Swinford’s two-year contract was extended by one year Thursday.

“We told her she has done an excellent job,” said board president and District 2 trustee Zelmarine Murphy, who along with District 3 Trustee Jim Stirgus Jr., voted against hiring Swinford last year.

“We are impressed with (MCT2 and Subject Area Tests) scores,” Murphy said. “We are pleased with the fact that she is selling the district on a positive note.”

All five members of the school board voted Thursday to extend Swinford’s contract through the 2012-13 academic year. Her annual salary of $125,000 was not discussed, Murphy said.

“I think three years is a good measure,” said Swinford. “I think it’s enough time to get something started.”

Swinford’s job performance was evaluated this week for the second time in the year she’s been in Vicksburg. Evaluations will continue informally in December and formally in August 2012, Murphy said.

The evaluation is based on goals Swinford and the board set at her hiring, which included raising state test scores, Murphy said.

“We knew the challenges she faced were not created in a year and weren’t going to be solved in a year,” said District 1 Trustee Bryan Pratt, who also is serving his first year on the board. He replaced Jerry Boland in January.