Status of Superintendent's Contract Disputed

Superintendent Pia Durkin's contract was the topic of a heated dispute near the end of the public session at the School Committee meeting on Monday.

Committee Chair Mike Tyler wanted the panel to go into a closed-door executive session to discuss issues involving Durkin's contract, but Committee member Teri Enegren said that was not needed because she believed Durkin did not intend to remain at the district after the fiscal year concludes June 30.

Enegren based this opinion on Durkin's recent rejection of a proposal by the committee's executive board to eliminate a $10,000 payment toward her benefits package for 2012-13. She said since no counter-offer was included in the notice, Durkin's tenure would be ending next month.

"I was actually expecting to hear a motion to start a search committee as soon as possible because as far as I read in the [rejection] letter, there was no contract," Enegren said.

She then made a motion to create the search committee, to which Durkin responded, "I have a contract through June 30, 2013."

Enegren replied, "Not the way I read it."

Durkin countered, "Then I suggest you speak to my attorney."

Enegren's motion was supported by Committee Vice Chair Brenda Furtado and Committee member Barbara Craw, but rejected by the others, so it was not approved. 

Tyler said that the School Committee members needed to be careful discussing the contract in public. Durkin told him, "I want to be clear that my attorney will be in touch with you in terms of discussing that rather than assuming my employment ends June 30. I don't believe it does."

The committee later voted 7-2 (Enegren and Fran Zito opposing) to go into executive session to discuss the contract.

Tyler said the purpose of the executive session was to determine "how we're going to proceed forward and make sure everybody's on the same page about the parameters and the next steps we have to take."

Durkin's rejection of the proposal by the executive committee went public at the previous School Committee meeting because by alerting all nine members about her stance. This led to a public disciplinary hearing at which the committee voted 5-3 to reject Tyler's proposal for a formal reprimand of the superintendent.

Editor's Note: The original version of this story stated Bill Larson voted against going into executive session. He voted in favor.