SHARON SCHOOLS Superintendent to stay on job until very end

The school board voted not to renew his contract and is searching for a successor.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- Superintendent Richard Rossi said he will be on the job every work day until his contract ends, despite a suggestion from the school board that he could use accumulated vacation and personal days and not show up.
Rossi missed Wednesday's Sharon City School Board work session and his nameplate was missing from the board table, prompting speculation that he might be following the board's suggestion.
However, contacted at his office Thursday, Rossi said he will be working every weekday through June 28.
His contract officially ends June 30.
Rossi said Atty. Mark Longietti, school board solicitor, approached him recently on behalf of the school board, suggesting that the board wouldn't object if he used up his vacation and personal days and didn't report for work over the next two weeks.
"At $384 a day, I felt I needed to be at my office. That's what I'm paid to do," Rossi said. "It's outrageous to tell me not to come in when they're paying me."
The district will reimburse him for his unused vacation time, he said.
Replacing Rossi
Longietti confirmed that he did have a discussion with Rossi regarding the remaining time in his contract but declined to be specific about that meeting, saying it was a personnel issue.
He did say the board hadn't required Rossi to be at Wednesday's work session.
The school board voted in November not to renew Rossi's contract when it expires and began a search for a new superintendent.
The board has interviewed six finalists for the job and is looking at second-round interviews, said Lora Adams-King, board president. The board hopes to make an appointment by July 1, she said.
Rossi said he has had a number of interviews for school administrative positions in his search for a new job.
"I'm just feeling out all of my options," he said.