WEST MIDDLESEX School board, official reach retirement deal

The district will still pay more than $200,000 for more than 400 unused sick days.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
WEST MIDDLESEX, Pa. -- The West Middlesex Area School Board has worked out a retirement package for Superintendent Albert Jones that will save the district $59,126 in salary costs.
Atty. John Reed, representing the board, said the savings will come as a result of Jones' agreeing to convert some of his unused sick days and unused personal days into vacation time beginning Jan. 1, 2004, and go on an extended vacation at that point.
He will then be paid vacation time rather than his regular salary, Reed said.
The board announced in April that it wouldn't be renewing Jones' five-year contract, which expires June 30, 2004, prompting Jones to announce his retirement.
The board has already begun a search for a successor, although Thomas Hubert, board president, said it may be difficult to get a new superintendent to come on board in January. Most are tied to contracts that run through June, he said.
However, there are some retired superintendents who take on this type of short-term work and who would serve for just six months until a new superintendent can come in, Hubert said.
Unused days
Jones had accumulated 446.5 unused sick days as well as 80 vacation days and six personal days, all of which he would have to be compensated for at the time of retirement at his daily pay rate of $484.64, said Reed.
Jones said he would agree to leave early, taking an extended vacation beginning Jan. 1, if the board would convert 36 of those sick days and all six of the personal days into additional vacation days, which would carry him to the end of his contract on June 30, 2004, according to Reed.
That wipes out all of the accumulated vacation and personal days and a chunk of the sick days, reducing the final separation benefits due Jones, Reed said, explaining that Jones will draw vacation pay during that period instead of his regular pay, thereby saving the district $59,126 in salary costs.
The rest of the unused sick days and some severance pay for Jones' 33 years with the district leaves the board with a retirement bill of $208,700, Reed said.
Jones agreed to accept that money over three fiscal years, easing the burden on the district's budget, Reed said.
He will get $9,700 on June 30, 2004; $94,000 on July 15, 2004; and $35,000 Jan. 14, 2005, June 15, 2005, and Jan. 13, 2006.