Each year, we read in the news that our school district is struggling with the cost of health care for teachers and staff. Not in the New Hope-Solebury School District — we give it away when you resign.
Our superintendent resigns, and we must pay him over $300,000 until Nov. 30 to go away (a giveaway). We must provide health care for he and his family until he turns 65 years of age, and he is now 57 (another giveaway).
Let’s stop and think: If you resign your current job, are you getting this? I think not.
The School Board members who sign this contract, if any are left, should take the following action:
- Agree to cover this cost on their own, not on the backs of the taxpayers.
- Failing to agree to cover these costs, they should submit their resignations at their next meeting.
- Any new member running for the board who would agree to a contract like this should withdraw their name at once; they all ran for the board to cut costs.
- Why did you have to justify these costs? He was a good superintendent, which in my opinion raises a red flag. Maybe the taxpayers should file a right to know request for closed-door minutes to find out why he resigned. This right to know request should also include all emails between the board members and/or the superintendent pertaining to the resignation.
- If we must give this money away, then give it away, but we should look at the following:
- In a new contract for a superintendent, no giveaway on pay when he/she leaves, and no giveaway on health care when he/she leaves
- Cut another $500,000 out of the planned expansion to the school buildings and any upgrades to the playing fields to cover this giveaway.
Richard J. Mangan
New Hope
(The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Free Press.)
News of Dr. Boccuti’s resignation was presented at the June 22nd school board meeting.Why wasn’t this story front page in the New Hope Free Press?
As far as Point #5, about cutting $500,000 out of the renovation Plan. I would like to see another zero added to that number and times it by 2 to get to $10,000,000 to get rid of all the redundancy in the proposal especially the farcical plan to build a $2,000,000 administration building under the guise that it will improve security when we know that the most profound problem in security does not come from outside, but from within the school where bullying is a constant.
By the way, check out “New Hope Solebury, Don’t Break My Wallet on You Tube.
As far as giving Supt. Boccuti $300,000 by Nov.30th, that is simply not so. Since he is making roughly $200,000 a year, and since his contract is up on July 31, 2017, he will get over $400,000 if he stayed to the end of his contract.
The fact that he will resign on Nov.30, 2015, 4 and one half months from now,we are talking $70,000 not $300,000. Still too much.
No question about it,to pay for Supt. Boccuti’s health insurance and that of his family,until he is 65 or finds a job that will pay for it before he hits 65 is outrageous. However, this huge perk has nothing to do with the present school board, but everything to do with our state legislators who made it part of state law years ago.So to change the law,Pa. voters have to vote out those legislators who are in favor of the status quo.