January 26, 2009

EDUCATION COMMITTEE ADVANCES CASAGRANDE MEASURE REGULATING SUPERINTENDENT PERKS BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD BRING UNIFORMITY AND OVERSIGHT TO CONTRACTS FOR SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENTS

The Assembly Education Committee unanimously advanced legislation today sponsored by Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande that would add state oversight to school superintendent contracts.

“Whether it’s accumulating hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of sick days for a big pay-out, or using a phony degree to qualify for a raise, we’ve seen far too many examples in New Jersey where superintendents are more concerned with their wallets than serving taxpayers and their children,” Casagrande, R-Monmouth and Mercer, said. “We must protect local property taxpayers from dishonest school officials who negotiate illegal or abusive terms into their contracts.”

The legislation, A-3185, would require the Commissioner of Education to develop a model superintendent contract for school districts. The template would address salary, health insurance, pension benefits, sick days and vacation leave to ensure districts comply with state law, including recent restrictions on travel, sick and vacation pay and superintendents whose certifications are revoked.

Any deviation from the contract would need approval from the Department of Education.

“With these safeguards, unscrupulous school superintendents will no longer be able to wave a contract in the face of the taxpayers they are essentially stealing from,” Casagrande said.

The measure has bipartisan support from Assembly members Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., D-Middlesex, Joseph Cryan, D-Union, and Pamela R. Lampitt, D-Camden.