Report: Severance For School Superintendents Costing Millions

CHICAGO (CBS) Big severance packages paid to school superintendents have cost Illinois taxpayers millions of dollars over the last decade, according to a published report.

The Chicago Tribune reports school boards have given out six-figure separation checks, as well as parting gift of paid health care, cash for sick days, and in one instance, even a Mercedes-Benz.

One of the most extreme cases involved Stan Fields, who was put on leave and was about to get fired in west suburban Proviso School District 209 where he was superintendent, but still got $100,000 in severance, the Tribune reported. He had only been on the job for one year.

Before that, Fields had quit his job running a Lake County high school district early, but he got $30,426 in unused vacation and did not have to pay a $60,000 breach-of contract fee, the newspaper reported.

The newspaper reviewed more than 100 superintendent contracts, financial records and severance agreements statewide over the last 10 years obtained through the state's Freedom of Information Act.

Part of the reason for the healthy severances is fear of lawsuits, but other experts say the deals are made behind closed doors and without the public's scrutiny.

"In these tough economic times, we've got to make common-sense, fair decisions," said Anne Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association. "It probably is not going to look like it has in the past. We cannot mirror Wall Street. These are publicly paid individuals."

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