Outgoing Evanston School District 65 Superintendent Paul Goren will receive nearly $81,000 in severance payment from the board.
The superintendent, who still had two years left to run on his contract, announced his resignation on June 14 and it was accepted by the School Board Monday.
Terms of the resignation agreement, which were not disclosed at the meeting at which the board voted to accept Goren’s resignation, were released to Evanston Now by the district in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.
The agreement specifies that Goren, whose last day on the job is June 30, will be paid $80,838.87 in severance, equivalent to 16 weeks of his annual base salary of $262,726.33.
He’ll also receive health insurance coverage through the end of the calendar year, payment for 17 unused vacation days and the right to retain the cell phone and laptop computer provided to him by the district.
Under the agreement Goren waives the right to sue the board over his departure.
Goren was hired by District 65 in 2014 at a salary of $250,000 with a four year contract term. He received a contract extension to June 2021 in 2017.
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District 65 Board is Irresponsible
I guess this is what happens when you have uncontested school board elections: irresponsible use of taxpayer funds.
Why on Earth would you give Goren ANY severance when he is resigning and breaking the contract with the district?
He always stuck me as a shallow bureaucrat, but it seems he was able to pull one over on the Board by getting a sweet paycheck (+cell phone and computer) when he voluntarily quits.
The District 65 Board showing their incompetence again.
The severance package is not that good
I am sure there is a very good reason for the board to pay him a severance, probably more than one.
Part of the deal is that he agreed not to sue them. Also, it is far less than paying out the duration of his salary. I would guess that the contract has a provisions for termination without cause from eihter side, and that if the board terminated without cause they would have to pay a severace. They may have permitted Mr. Goren to resign instead of being fired to reduce the public appearance of conflict.
The severance amount of $80,838.87 was almost certanly not selected in a negotiation process. Given that is to the penny, it looks like the result of a formula, whcih is what an employment contract with a provision for severance would have.
What are the “good reasons” to pay Goren severance?
I would be interested to know the “very good reasons” the board elected to pay Goren severance when he quit voluntarily.
If you read the statement released by the board there is no mention of lawsuits.
If he was paid off and allowed to “resign instead of being fired to reduce the appearance of conflict,” then that is a miscarriage of duty on the part of the Board and a slap in the face of taxpayers who should demand transparency.
The Board needs to explain itself better than it has. I wish I could quit my job and then have my employer give me $80k, a computer, cell phone and a positive letter of recommendation going forward.
This is really poor form from the board.