BOE Waiting for Response from County Regarding Superintendent Contract

The majority of the public hearing segment of Tuesday’s Parsippany school board meeting once again revolved around the litigation and controversy surrounding the contract of Superintendent LeRoy Seitz.

Former board member , who has opposed the contract throughout the process, said he had made a request at the last meeting that a copy of Seitz’s contract be sent to Executive County Superintendent Kathleen Serafino, who had and if it was not rescinded. A copy of the current contract was sent on Nov. 8.

Board President Frank Calabria said that board attorney Mark Tabakin, who could not attend Tuesday's meeting, had not received a response from Serafino at the time they had spoken earlier in the day.

Crawford asked whether, following a response from Serafino, the board would follow its policy of “providing the public the opportunity of two board meetings to review the contract and ask questions.”

“This is why I wanted the attorney here tonight, in anticipation of answering that question,” Calabria said. “When I spoke with him, he indicated that, off the top of his head, we don’t need to do that. But then again, my feeling is to let everyone here discuss that.”

Crawford urged the board to not base its actions on what the attorney says “off the top of his head.”

Calabria then explained that, similarly, he does not want to react to hypothetical situations, or “ifs,” as he put it.

Calabria also repeated a point he has made on the subject at past meetings: there are many questions he cannot answer because litigation is pending.

The legal action the president spoke of does exist. Seitz told Patch he filed a suit  labeled as a complaint with state Commissioner of Education Christopher Cerf in a move to defend the rescinded contract. Depending on the commissioner's decision, either side can appeal to the New Jersey Superior Court's appellate division.

Parsippany resident Pat Petaccia expressed disgust that the process, which began more than a year ago, has gone on as long as it has.

“Everything is in litigation,” Petaccia said. “We can’t talk about it. We can’t do this and we can’t do that. Let’s end it, OK? If Dr. Seitz wants to leave, let him leave.”

Petaccia said the board should be doing what the state and county tell it to do.

Parsippany resident Bob Venezia also brought up threats that had been made by Serafino regarding taking state aid–about $3.6 million–away from the district had Seitz’s contract not been rescinded. Venezia asked if, through Seitz’s litigation, the district could still risk losing that money.

While Calabria acknowledged it is a possibility, he said he has “doubt any of that will come to fruition.”

The controversy began when the board adopted a contract for Seitz in November 2010 that would raise his salary from $212,000 to $216,000 this year and to $234,000 by 2015. The problem, according to the state: The pact violates Gov. Chris Christie’s $175,000 superintendent salary cap, which took effect in February.

The contract was rejected by Serafino in July and drew criticism from Christie. After the board rescinded the contract in July, it was found in October that the and that Seitz was being overpaid. The board then to $177,500, which includes a stipend for the township’s high schools.

Crawford also asked at the meeting when that money would be repaid to the district.

“We are getting an opinion as to whether or not we can provide that information,” Calabria said. “I believe that is public information. Let me get back to you.”