There's no reason to keep Ciccolelli on the payroll

Campbell Board of Education members Diana Petruska, Karen Repasky and Dominic Medina aren't just expressing their personal opinions when they say it's time for Superintendent James Ciccolelli to leave and for the school system to change course under new leadership. They are doing what the voters who put them in office want them to do, namely, rid the district of any reminders of its controversial past.
Thus, no Campbell resident should have been surprised when, during the board's March 16 meeting, Petruska, president, Repasky, vice president, and Medina refused to reconsider their decision not to renew Ciccolelli's contract, which expires July 31. Indeed, they had put the superintendent on notice last year that he should look for employment elsewhere, and followed that up with a formal vote in February. The 55-year-Ciccolelli clearly understood that his 12-year tenure was coming to an end.
There is no reason, therefore, to consider any other options, including the one proposed by Dolan that the board allow the superintendent to retire, and then rehire him at a lesser salary. While $85,931 is a high wage for a school district like Campbell, it does not necessarily follow that his successor will be paid the same amount. Such salaries are commensurate with qualifications, experience and other factors, and also are negotiated.
Organized crime
In November 2001, the voters ousted board members Dr. Walter Rusnak and Michael Tsikouris, made Repasky the top finisher and also brought in political novice Petruska. In an after-election editorial, we contended that the ouster of the incumbents carried this message from the residents of Campbell: "No more backroom deals. No more nepotism. No more hiring of an individual as a consultant whose name is linked to organized crime. And no more carte blanche for the superintendent of the Campbell city schools."
In 1999, Repasky lost her re-election bid after she publicly criticized her colleagues on the board for their decision to hire Frank Fasline Jr. as a $200-a-day consultant. The board had refused to renew Fasline's contract as district treasurer after he was identified by Mafia boss-turned government witness Lenine Strollo as a conduit for organized crime bribes paid to former Campbell Police Chief Charles Xenakis.
Fasline was taped by the FBI having discussions with Strollo about an illegal fund-raising plan for the schools. Ciccolelli, who failed to properly inform the board of education about the fund-raising proposal, got away with a nondisciplinary resolution directing him to provide and maintain full information concerning board resolutions.
Rusnak and Tsikouris made no secret of the fact that Ciccolelli had their full support. Thus, when the superintendent recommended his wife, Christine, for a part-time position, four the five board members, including Rusnak and Tsikouris, confirmed his choice.
It was against that backdrop that Repasky and Petruska ran in 2001 -- and won. The message from the voters with regard to Repasky was clear: We made a mistake in 1999.
Thus today, Petruska, Repasky and Medina are doing the right thing in telling Ciccolelli that it's time for him to leave and that the school system needs to go in a different direction.