The vote defies directive from Morris County schools superintendent, Gov. Christie
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Parsippany-Troy Hills Schools Superintendent LeRoy Seitz was awarded a new five-year salary contract that exceeded the spending cap proposed by Gov. Chris Christie for school superintendents. PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Board of Education voted tonight not to rescind the contract of district superintendent LeRoy Seitz, in defiance of a directive from Morris County schools superintendent Kathleen Serafino. The sharply divided board voted 4-4 — with one abstention — not to rescind Seitz’s contract.
Prior to the vote, the board debated the motion for more than half an hour amid shouts and applause from the audience.
"If we rescind, everything we have done is all over with," said Frank Neglia. "I think the smartest thing is to follow through with what we’ve already approved."
This wasn’t the first time the local board has defied Serafino, who has aligned herself with Gov. Chris Christie. The Parsippany school board filed a lawsuit Monday challenging Serafino’s directive to rescind Seitz’ contract.
But not everyone agreed that the board should continue with the lawsuit and the potential consequences.
"We rushed into this," said Parsippany school board member Michael Strumolo. "You guys painted yourself into this corner and now we are spending money on a lawsuit that should be spent educating children, not in lawsuits to circumvent the governor."
The motion, made by Bob Crawford and seconded by Strumolo, required a two-thirds majority to pass because law requires advance notification of the proposed vote.
Board members Fran Orthwein and Louis Valori along with Strumolo and Crawford voted for the motion. Frank Neglia, Anthony Mancuso, Frank Calabria and Debbie Orme voted against the motion. Andrew Choffo abstained.
On Monday, the board filed a lawsuit seeking a court order that would compel the Serafino and the acting state education commissioner, Rochelle Hendricks to approve the board’s five-year contract for Superintendent LeRoy Seitz.
The Parsippany board voted Nov. 9 to raise Seitz’s salary from $212,020 to $216,040 during the first year of the new contract. He was to receive a 2 percent raise in each of the next four years, which would take his salary to $234,065 by the end of the contract.
On Nov. 15, however, Serafino ordered the board to rescind the contract. That same day, Hendricks warned county superintendents not to approve any contracts before Christie’s cap on superintendent salaries takes effect Feb. 7.
The board set an tentative special meeting for Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.
Previous coverage:
• Parsippany school board sues N.J. after superintendent contract is rejected
• N.J. school chiefs to testify at public hearing on salary caps
• Gov. Christie slams Parsippany school board for approving superintendent salary above planned cap
• Parsippany approves new contract for schools superintendent; Gov. Christie lashes out
• Edison hires Matawan-Aberdeen superintendent to run schools
• Superintendent salary cap has bigger impact in northern, central N.J. districts
• Jersey City schools chief exempt from Christie's proposed salary caps