Millcreek School Board tables vote on performance bonus for former superintendent
Former schools Superintendent Ian Roberts may get one more paycheck from the Millcreek Township School District.
Roberts, now superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa, "(met) expectations" in his role as Millcreek schools superintendent in 2022-23, according to a job evaluation approved by an 8-1 vote of the Millcreek Township School Board on Monday.
School directors unanimously tabled a vote on a performance bonus for Roberts for 2022-23 without comment.
Roberts' June 2020 contract with the district entitles him to salary and other compensation, including bonus pay, earned through his June 30 resignation date.
Bonus pay of up to $15,000 annually is based on school rankings, student standardized test scores, student graduation rate, community relations and employee satisfaction, among other criteria, according to Roberts' contract.
Roberts was paid a bonus for each of his two previous years in the Millcreek Township School District, receiving $12,500 on Aug. 23, 2021, and $10,000 on Aug. 22, 2022, according to district records.
Annual performance bonuses for his predecessor, William Hall, were capped at $7,000. Hall's bonuses were based solely on the district's academic performance as measured by the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Pennsylvania School Performance Profile, according to his 2018 contract with the district.
There is no performance bonus in the district's contract with current schools Superintendent John Cavanagh. Cavanagh was hired to replace Roberts on July 17 at a starting salary of $170,000. His salary will increase to $175,000 retroactive to July 18 if he successfully completes the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators' New Superintendents' Academy this school year.
Cavanagh will receive 2% salary increases in subsequent contract years.
Roberts' performance bonus for the 2020-21 school year raised his total compensation from the district to $192,500 for that year. His starting salary that year was $180,000.
Roberts earned $193,600 in 2021-22, including a 2% salary increase and the $10,000 performance bonus.
His salary in 2022-23 was $187,272 with any performance bonus yet to come.
Roberts' tenure in the district wasn't without controversy.
The school district paid $250,000 in June to settle a claim of "alleged unlawful treatment" by its former human resources director, Melody Ellington. The settlement agreement contained no specific information on the nature of Ellington's claim.
In July, the district's former director of elementary education, Joe Orlando, filed a lawsuit against the district challenging his demotion to sixth-grade teacher.
Legal issues: Ex-Millcreek schools official sues over demotion
$250,000 settlement: Millcreek schools pay ex-personnel chief
Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Will former Millcreek superintendent get a bonus? Board tables vote.
