Calabria: Seitz Contract Overshadows Education

The ongoing saga over the Parsippany School District's disputed contract with Superintendent LeRoy Seitz has taken its toll on Frank Calabria.

But the Board of Education president says the focus on the district's education has taken the biggest hit during this ordeal.

Morris County Executive Superintendent Kathleen Serafino wrote a letter this week to the district, threatening the loss of millions in state school aid if Seitz's contract was not reduced to meet Gov. Chris Christie's salary cap for school administrators.

"The county executive superintendent has given us some directives, and the board will have to deal with it," Calabria said. That's where we are right now."

A special school board meeting is scheduled for next Thursday so the body can discuss the matter and decide how it will proceed before the Nov. 10 deadline set by Serafino. 

Last week, news broke that Seitz was still being paid under a contract the board voted to rescind last July under threat from the state. That agreement paid Seitz $220,565 for the year, and earned the county executive superintendent's ire because the salary exceeds Christie's cap.

Serafino's missive demanded that the board rescind the pact again and submit a new contract that pays Seitz $177,500, along with monthly reports assuring that the order is being followed. Additionally, she called for the board to use additional monies earmarked for paying the superintendent for curriculum and instruction expenses.

If the board does not comply, Serafino said the state would take back up to $3.6 million in aid for Parsippany schools.

"What the board members' reactions will be, I don't know. I can't poll everyone ahead of time, so we'll see what happens at the meeting," Calabria said. "The idea is to be as open as possible and to do what needs to be done."

The board president told Patch he is exhausted by the ongoing controversy and fears the continual presence of the Seitz contract issue is getting in the way of what he said is most important.

"The superintendent's contract is a very important issue, but all of this is diverting us from talking about our real purpose, educating our students," he said. "We're putting all our resources into dealing with the contract issue. On the other hand, what about AYP and student testing? What about the budget? What about curriculum and instruction, or about the teachers' contract negotiations? The controversy is getting in the way of the real work. This has to be dealt with, once and for all."

Calabria said he understands the public's demand for information, but because the matter is "in litigation," there is little that he can say in response to people's questions. He has instructed other board members not to speak to media on the matter.

The litigation of which the president speaks involves Seitz's attempt to defend himself and the initially agreed upon contract. Andrew Babiak, a lawyer from the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, filed a complaint with state Commissioner of Education Christopher Cerf on the superintendet's behalf Sept. 14. In that letter, Babiak wrote that Seitz was under the impression that when the contract was rescinded, the previous contract, which paid the superintendent roughly $212,000, would take effect. In addition, Seitz's complaint asked Cerf to acknowledge that Serafino exceeded her authority in threatening the Parsippany school district."

Serafino's letter stated that the education commissioner gave her the authority to make the demand and the threats.

Seitz, Serafino and Board Attorney Mark Tabakin have not responded to requests for comment.

Calabria said he is still trying to process what is happening and why.

"Perhaps this letter is the crisis that will bring this [divided] board together," he mused. "The members are taking this very seriously. Believe it or not, this may turn out to be a good thing in the long term. Or maybe that's just me trying to find a silver lining here. But I really think we will see this through."

The special meeting is scheduled for Thursday at the Board of Education building at 7 p.m. Though the session is open to the public, the deliberations involving the Seitz contract will take place in closed session with the public vote following afterward.