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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 14, 2013 10:01 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative John A. Lawrence |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Legislation to Discourage School Districts from Offering Oversized Severance Packages to Administrators - Former HB 2122 |
| Dear Colleagues - I am sure many recall the controversy surrounding the dismissal of the former superintendent of the Philadelphia School District, Arlene Ackerman. While everyone has their own opinion on Dr. Ackerman's tenure at the helm of the district, I am specifically concerned about the generous taxpayer-funded severance package granted upon her departure. Published press reports indicate that the package included a payment of nearly $1 million, additional payments for unused sick and vacation days, and health insurance through June 2013. The taxpayers of Pennsylvania expect that state monies appropriated for education should be used for the instruction of students, not to fund generous severance / buy out packages for administrators. Such "golden parachutes" are widely ridiculed in the business world, and school districts should be discouraged from offering these types of juicy perks in administrative contracts. In the near future, I will reintroduce legislation discouraging school districts from providing excessive administrative severance packages. Districts that choose to continue this practice will be fined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, upon payout of a severance package, an amount equal to the percentage of the state appropriation to the school district’s budget multiplied by the monetary value of the severance package. As an example, if the state appropriation to a school district is 50% of the district's budget, and the district pays a $500,000 severance package to an administrator, then PDE would fine the district $250,000. The legislation will apply to new contracts signed 90 days after enactment, and exempt packages under $25,000. It is indeed the prerogative of each individual school district to negotiate contracts as they deem appropriate for their administrators. However, it is not the prerogative of the taxpayers of Pennsylvania to pay for oversized largesse. If school districts are willing to include golden parachutes in administrative contracts, they should find a way to fund them outside the state education appropriation. I appreciate your consideration of this proposed legislation. Former Cosponsors: LAWRENCE, SIMMONS, BLOOM, CREIGHTON , CUTLER , EVANKOVICH, GILLEN, GROVE, HESS , HORNAMAN, KAUFFMAN , MAHONEY , MAJOR , MURT , SACCONE, SCHRODER , SWANGER , TALLMAN, TOOHIL and YOUNGBLOOD |
Introduced as HB534