NJ passes new procedure for hiring supers
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
By: Fit Staff
mcampbell@whyy.org
By: Phil Gregory
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The New Jersey Assembly has passed a bill that would require all school districts to use a standard format contract when hiring a new superintendent. The measure comes after some large payouts caused controversy, including more than seven hundred thousand dollars in special payments for a retiring school superintendent in Keansburg.
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The measure was sponsored by Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan. He says the standardized contract would apply to all aspects of a superintendent's employment.
Diegnan: Like accumulated sick time, vacation time. Payouts which in some cases has been several hundred thousand dollars. No more secret clauses or unknown clauses in a contract.
The legislation sets a range for the payouts that could be made to a retiring superintendent, rather than a specific monetary limit. Diegnan says if there are more abuses, lawmakers could enact stronger regulations.