Schools

Seitz Resignation May Be Postponed to June 1

The superintendent requested that his last day be changed due to changes in state law.

Earlier this month, Parsippany Superintendent of Schools LeRoy Seitz announced his intention to resign his post as of May 15. At Tuesday's Board of Education meeting at Parsippany Hills High School, the agenda contained an item seeking to change that date until June 1.

Seitz said the reason for the request was to comply with state regulations that mandate that he must leave the position on the first day of a month and that he must use, rather than be paid in cash for, unused vacation time.

He said this means that his technical last day would be in mid-May, after which he would use up his vacation days, but that his official employment would not end until the first day of June.

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Member Michael Strumolo sought to postpone the vote.

"I'd like to ask what the purpose of tabling is," Seitz said. 

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Board President Susy Golderer said the time was needed to assess the situation, and indicated displeasure in the manner in which Seitz tendered his resignation. (The announcement was added to the Superintendent's Report during the closed session following the board's Feb. 12 meeting and was voted on immediately afterward, surprising the few residents who were still in attendance. Golderer was not present for that session.)

After some discussion, board attorney Mark Tabakin advised the board that it was "most prudent" to discuss the matter during its next meeting.

Seitz noted that the next meeting, slated for March 5, is designated for discussing the 2013-14 preliminary schools budget; the next regular meeting is March 14.

Member Frank Calabria wondered whether it was necessary to table the matter at all.

"Can't we just remove it and have Madame President, if she chooses, put it on the next agenda?" he asked. "This is much ado about nothing here."

In the end, the board took its lawyer's advice and voted to move the discussion of Seitz's resignation date to March 14. 


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