Schools chiefs would lose big if caps get OK

Wednesday, June 18, 2008
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Departing school chiefs in Hudson County stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars if a bill passed by the state Assembly capping the amount they can be paid for unused vacation and sick time becomes law.

Passed by a 76-4 vote on Monday, the bill would cap payouts on unused vacation pay and unused sick time to $15,000 apiece. But the provision in the bill that's making school bosses nervous is the clause that would apply the caps retroactively to existing contracts.

This provision would affect virtually every schools superintendent in Hudson County, said Robert Osak, executive superintendent for the county, who has been reviewing contracts in the county in the wake of a $740,000 severance package for a superintendent in Keansburg coming to light.

Union City Superintendent of Schools Stanley Sanger, who would stand to lose more than $100,000 in payments for unused sick time if this bill became law, questioned its fairness and legality.

"They (the administrators) have been working under a set of rules and regulations and to change those rules and regulations after 30 years would be professionally devastating to anyone in the public or private sector," said Sanger, who took the reins as superintendent five years ago and has been with the district for 35 years.

Sanger also raised questions about the legality of passing a law that would nullify existing contracts.

Representatives of the Office of Legislative Services refused to say yesterday if the bill's author, Joseph Cryan, D-Union, asked for a legal opinion or if one has been rendered.

Cryan, chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, where the bill was introduced, couldn't be reached to comment; and Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, D-Hoboken, a member of that committee, didn't return phone messages left for him.

Another big loser if the measure passes would be Jersey City Superintendent of Schools Charles T. Epps Jr., who inked a new three-year deal with the district in April - the terms of which were reviewed and approved by state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy.

Epps accumulated 4931/2 "carry over" sick days with the district prior to his appointment as superintendent on July 1, 2002. According to his contract, he is to be paid $71,365 for those days when he departs.

He will also earn $15,000 for unused sick time he accrued after he became superintendent.

Davy has defended Epps' contract, arguing Epps was legally entitled to the sick days and other compromises were made to hold down the costs.

Epps earns $250,700 annually.

Former Hoboken schools superintendent Patrick Gagliardi retired last year with a nearly $600,000 severance package.

Constantino Scerbo, the schools chief in Secaucus, is scheduled to retire on Aug. 31. His office didn't provide a copy of his contract yesterday.

The Assembly bill now moves on to the state Senate.