Springs Superintendent to Stay On

The Springs School District has reached a new agreement with its superintendent, who will remain on the job rather than stepping down at the end of December, as had been announced in July.

“I am thankful the board has amended my contract to a per diem rate, which will allow them flexibility as they conduct their search for a new superintendent. Springs is a very special district with much to offer its students, parents, and community,” John J. Finello, the superintendent, said in an email Tuesday.

The school board approved the new contract by a 4-0 vote during its Nov. 21 meeting, with Liz Mendelman absent. The board has only recently begun the search for a new superintendent. Barbara Dayton, its president, said three search firms are being interviewed to help in the process. The district is also looking to hire a new business official.

According to a summary of the Nov. 21 contract amendment provided by the district’s law firm, Mr. Finello will earn $975 per day, “with no provision for utilization of leave days and with no additional compensation, excluding reimbursement for professional expenses.” It takes place on Jan. 2.

The tax-sheltered annuity payments Mr. Finello received as part of his previous contract will end on Dec. 31, and his total compensation will not exceed the $200,000 allotted for the superintendent’s salary in the district’s 2016-17 budget. The full text of the contract amendment was not available by press time.

Under his previous contract, Mr. Finello was to stay with Springs until July 31, 2018, earning $215,000 this year, plus the annuity, $11,000. During the most recent budget-approval process, he offered to take a pay cut to $200,000. Because he is a retiree working with a waiver from New York State, he does not have retirement fund contributions paid by Springs, which this year amounted to about 13 percent of an employee’s salary. He also does not have medical or dental benefits.

Mr. Finello, who was hired as a part-time superintendent at the start of the 2013-14 school year and appointed to the position full-time in June 2015, has come under criticism from some Springs residents who say his salary is too high — over $2,000 per day, they say, including his annuity and paid days off. He is contracted to work 220 days per year, meaning his base salary last year broke down to about $909 per day. His base daily salary this year breaks down to about $977.