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Sebring superintendent is out
By Denise Dick
SEBRING
Village school board members voted unanimously to allow Superintendent Christopher Lewis to use accumulated sick/vacation time for the remainder of this school year and to buy out the last year of his contract for $111,000.
Ray Harris, school-board president, said it was a mutual agreement between the board and Lewis to “part ways.” Lewis could not be reached to comment.
Toni Viscounte, elementary-school principal, who has a superintendent’s certificate, will serve as both elementary principal and interim superintendent until the school board names a permanent superintendent. Harris said the plan is for a new superintendent to be in place for next school year.
Viscounte, whose annual principal’s salary is $68,000, will earn an additional $500 per pay period — or about $1,000 per month — while serving as interim superintendent, said Treasurer Pete Hill.
The board last month, without explanation, suspended Lewis indefinitely with pay. A few days later, the board reinstated Lewis and a news release said, “they wanted to investigate the allegations of inappropriate conduct that were alleged to have been reported to the Ohio Department of Education during Lewis’ employment with Sebring.”
Harris declined to comment Monday on last month’s board actions, citing advice of counsel.
Lewis’ annual salary is $85,715, but Hill said the $111,000 payment for the last year includes medical and retirement benefits, Hill said.
A review by The Vindicator of Lewis’ personnel file found no issues.
Lewis, who previously worked as director of educational services and principal for the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, began working in Sebring in 2012. A November 2013 evaluation by then-school board members rated him “commendable” in most categories.
None of the current board members was in office when Lewis was hired.