Looking for Supt. Contracts, Altoona Paper gets Pushback
Dec 19th, 2007 by dani_k
The Altoona Mirror sent letters to all 501 of Pennsylvania’s school districts in August asking for superintendents’ employment contracts.
Most school districts complied with the request in a reasonable time frame; those who did not were asked again. Eventually, according to the paper, “Columbia Borough School District [in Lancaster County] was the only agency to say the contract wasn’t a public record.” Eventually, though, the school district complied.
The Mirror reports,
Numerous school districts at first refused to mail the document even if prepayment was provided. The issue is one of the many points of confusion within the state’s Right to Know law. The deputy chief counsel for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association said she doesn’t advocate forcing residents to drive for public records, but she said there is a sound legal argument that agencies are not required to mail documents.
“I tell members, `As long as they pay for postage, mail the thing,’ Emily Leader said. “We have to recognize the spirit of the law.”
The Altoona Mirror put together a database of superintendents’ contracts. It’s available online. The paper has also made the letters from school districts to Jay Young available online, too. They even excerpt “some of the more notable exchanges.”
Susquehanna Township [Dauphin County]
Attorney P. Daniel Altland of Caldwell and Kearns of Harrisburg
Altland: “We are unable to determine who or what entity is requesting the document.”
[Reporter Jay M.] Young: “With all due respect, my name is on the letter, I’ve signed the letter, it’s on company stationery — with an address. I’m not sure how else I can identify myself short of giving my Social Security number.”
Altland: “Unless the records are incorrect, the Altoona Mirror is a fictitious name, that is not a ‘person.’ We do not need your Social Security number, and we certainly don’t expect you to travel to Harrisburg.”
Young: States his tone is harsh because he feels Altland is just fighting the request. Attaches driver’s license, which was never requested, to e-mail. “This is all fun and legal games until one realizes the taxpayers of Susquehanna Township Schools pay the bill. I’m going to get this public record. It’s not worth the fight.”
Altland: “You have now established that you are a resident of Pennsylvania, and therefore, a ‘requester’ as defined in the Act. Your request will be satisfied.” Altland goes on to state, “Just so you know. I attempted to determine if you are a resident. I searched anywho.com and found no listings for your name in Altoona.”
Interesting note: If phone numbers aren’t public records anymore - and if SB 1 passes as amended, they very well could be - the school district’s own solicitor wouldn’t be able to search anywho.com for ANYONE’s phone number!
It’s all part of their in-depth examination of school superintendent contracts by Jay M. Young, who took a close look at contract perks…many of which “occur after departure and while taxpayers compensate a new administrator. Notices of termination are rewarded with payment for hundreds of unused sick days and free health care in retirement.
“The payment for unused sick days can exceed a teacher’s annual salary. The free or discounted access to health care comes at an age when most seek extra cash for coverage until Medicare. In addition to life insurance policies provided by taxpayers, free health care sometimes extends to spouses, even if the superintendent dies.”
On the other end of the spectrum, at least one superintendent - Minersville Area [Schuylkill County] Superintendent M. Joseph Brady - doesn’t collect a paycheck. He retired in 2002 – and the 2007-08 school year, in his own words “marks the sixth year of service without a paid salary.”