BOE Special Session Tonight to Address Seitz Contract

The Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education meets in an emergency session at 7 p.m. On the agenda will be the matter of Superintendent LeRoy Seitz's contract.

The body has until July 22 to rescind its contract with Seitz, under a directive from Executive County Superintendent Kathleen Serafino informed the board that the contract agreed to by the BOE and Seitz last November was invalid because it was never approved by Serafino.

That pact would raise Seitz's salary from $212,000 to $216,000 this year and to $234,000 by 2015, in violation of the governor's superintendent salary cap.

Under Gov. Christie's cap, a superintendent working for a district the size of Parsippany's would be eligible to receive up to $175,000 with the potential for a merit bonus.

In order to get approval for the 2011-12 budget, the board agreed to put the difference between the cap and what the board wanted to pay Seitz into a special account pending a lawsuit filed by the BOE against the state.

Last month, a State Appellate Court dismissed the suit.

On July 1, Serafino sent the board a letter indicating that the contract was improperly executed. She said the contract must be rescinded or the board will face numerous penalties including the loss of state aid and ethics charges. The letter also threatened the loss of Superintendent Seitz's certification.

Tonight, the board takes up the matter. President Frank Calabria said  board members may discuss the contract situation behind closed doors, but added that members of the public are welcome to wait to see if any action is taken. If so, that action would be announced at the end of the session.

Should the board decide to go along with the executive county superintendent's order--talk in and around board circles indicate the contract being rescinded is a strong possibility--its next priority will be deciding the employment status of the superintendent.

Asked what he thinks Seitz will do or how he will respond, President Calabria said anything he said would be nothing more than conjecture.

"You play chess, right? Well, there are all kinds of moves. You look at those particular moves and say that this may happen or that may happen with this move," he said. "We will have to see.

"Lee [Seitz] is a good man and superintendent," Calabria added. "With me he has always been upfront and candid in his view of things. Whatever happens, we will deal with it."

Superintendent Seitz declined comment on the matter, though he did note that he was not a part of the BOE lawsuit against the state.

Executive County Superintendent Serafino's office refused further comment.

Of course, the Parsippany Board of Education may take no action at all tonight. The members, after holding their discussion, could opt to table taking any action until its regular Thursday night meeting on July 14.