New Superintendent Contract Contains Salary Freeze

The Rockville Centre Board of Education recently approved a new four-year contract with Superintendent Dr. William Johnson, an agreement that freezes his salary for the next four years and has the district leader contributing more into his healthcare benefits.

The district will save $187,000 over the term of the new contract, school officials said, and the first-year salary savings from the freeze is $12,868.

Johnson's salary will be frozen at around $320,000 for the next four years, and he will contribute up to 25 percent of it into healthcare benefits by the end of the term. In his previous contract — which was negotiated in 2005 by an entirely different board — Johnson contributed 20 percent to benefits and was guaranteed an annual salary increase of no less than four percent.

His previous contract also contained an evergreen clause — a stipulation that renewed his contract at the end of each year unless the Board took action otherwise — but that was not included in the new terms. Board President Liz Dion said the board will renegotiate Johnson's contract at the end of the four years.

The new contract also prohibits Johnson from buying back unused vacation days, which he was allowed to do under his previous contract. Dion explained that Johnson is given 30 vacation days, but could opt to buy out eight of them if unused. Now he can't, she said, and the savings on the eight vacation days amounts to $12,166 in the first year.   

The Board agreed to provide Johnson early access to $300,000 in retirement funds due from his previous contract. During the term of the previous contract, the district budgeted and accrued these funds. 

Dion explained that this was money that Johnson would have received anyway, it was only a question of when. "This is not a budget issue," she said, noting that it will not impact current or future school budgets. "The money was accrued and put away years ago. We felt it was worth it."

Johnson could not be reached for comment.

"The Board believes this new agreement is good for our District, our students, and our community," Dion wrote in a press release to Patch. "Current economic and political circumstances demand an experienced and proven chief executive dedicated to educating our children. The Board thanks Dr. Johnson for his leadership, wisdom, and continued service to the District.