Documents › Board of Education, 2026-02-12

agreement 5 pages

CROTON-HARMON UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT​ 10 Gerstein Street Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10598 Mr. Stephen Walker Superintendent of Schools February 12, 2026 Dr. Laura Dubak​ Croton-Harmon High School Dear Dr. Dubak: Re: Benefit Agreement for the 2026-2027 School Year Start Date: July 1, 2026 This is to summarize, for your records, your benefits as Assistant Superintendent for the District. I have outlined below what I think is a comprehensive description of all the terms and conditions of employment that you enjoy as an employee with the District. Holidays and Vacations - The Assistant Superintendent covered by this agreement will have the following holidays: To Be Determined​ The Assistant Superintendent will be allowed 22 vacation days to be used during the fiscal year in which they have been earned. It is expected that most of these vacation days will be taken during the summer months of July and August, with the balance to be used throughout the year. If extenuating circumstances should prevent the Assistant Superintendent from using all 22 vacation days, the Board of Education will pay you, at your discretion, for up to five (5) such unused vacation days taken at the per diem rate. Any unused vacation will be added to sick leave days. If in the event the Assistant Superintendent leaves the service of the district and has taken more vacation time than has been earned (1.84 days per month), then he/she will be responsible for reimbursing the district at a rate of 1/240th of their salary per day. Leaves: Sick Leave - The Assistant Superintendent shall have 18 days sick leave per year, with 240 days accumulation. Additional sick leave without loss of pay may be granted at the discretion of the Board of Education. The Assistant Superintendent shall be credited with any unused accumulated sick leave that she maintained as of the effective date of her resignation from her prior position as the Principal of Croton-Harmon High School, upon the effective date of her appointment as Assistant Superintendent on July 1, 2026. Family Illness - In case of illness in the Assistant Superintendent’s immediate family, absence to a maximum of three days per year, shall be allowed without loss of pay or sick leave. Any days absent beyond three days, under this provision, will be deducted from the Assistant Superintendent’s sick leave. Immediate family is defined as: children of the Assistant Superintendent, parent, husband or wife, brother or sister, other relative residing in the Assistant Superintendent’s household or permanent member of her household. Additional family illness leave, without loss of pay, will be granted at the discretion of the Board of Education upon recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools. Personal Leave - Leave time not to exceed five (5) days of leave per year, shall be granted without loss of pay subject to the approval of the Superintendent of Schools. Such leave is intended for: 1.​ Court appearance or signing legal documents. 2.​ Personal or family business. 3.​ Graduation or transporting children to college. 4.​ Marriage. 5.​ Appointment with a doctor for an employee or member of his/her immediate family. 6.​ Religious Observance. Any unused personal days will be added to sick leave days at the end of the school year. Condolence Leave - Leaves without salary deductions for death in the immediate family will be five (5) days, and in extenuating circumstances, may be extended at the discretion of the Superintendent of Schools. Immediate family will be defined as the Assistant Superintendent’s child, parent, husband, wife, sister, brother, parent-in-law, or any other permanent member of the Assistant Superintendent’s household. A broader definition of “immediate family” may be requested by the Assistant Superintendent and accepted by the Superintendent of Schools if he/she feels that is justified in the circumstances.​ Leave without salary deduction not to exceed three (3) days will be granted to the Assistant Superintendent whose absence is caused by the death of a relative other than the immediate family: an aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, or grandparent. In extenuating circumstances, the period may be extended with the approval of the Superintendent of Schools. ​ Public Obligation - If the Assistant Superintendent is summoned to jury duty, they shall immediately notify the Superintendent of Schools. Leave shall be granted without loss of pay or leave time. The Assistant Superintendent shall pay over to the Board all remuneration received for such service except actual expenses. Court appearances and other public duties related to school shall be granted without loss of pay or leave time. Professional Leave - Leave shall be granted without loss of pay or leave time for attendance at approved professional meetings, conferences, and workshops approved by the Superintendent of Schools for professional improvement. Non-Compensable Leave - The Board of Education may authorize additional variations of administrative leave if, in its opinion, such variation is warranted. Benefits: Health Insurance - The Assistant Superintendent will have the opportunity to participate in the health insurance program offered by the Board of Education. The district shall contribute 80% of the premium ​ toward the purchase of health, surgical, prescription drugs, and major medical insurance.​ The district shall pay annually to the Assistant Superintendent, if they agree to waive health insurance coverage. A payment of $1,625 will be made in January and a payment of $1,625 will be made in June. She may re-enter the health plan after giving written notice to the business office. Coverage will begin thirty days after such notice is received. The Assistant Superintendent agrees to return a prorated portion of the money given by the District if they leave the district prior to June 30th. If the District insurance plan shall change in any way to alter the current conditions for re-entry, the District shall notify the Assistant Superintendent and give them the option of re-entering the health plan before such changes become effective. If the Assistant Superintendent wishes to waive health insurance, they shall annually contact the business office before June 1. Life Insurance - The Board of Education will provide a term life insurance policy in the amount of $100,000 to the Assistant Superintendent at no cost to the Assistant Superintendent. This benefit shall be provided to the Assistant Superintendent only during the period of her employment in the District as the Assistant Superintendent and is nontransferable. The Assistant Superintendent will be provided notice of any changes to her life insurance policy from the Business Office. Dental Plan - The Board of Education will provide a family dental plan for the Assistant Superintendent during the term of employment with the District. The Assistant Superintendent will receive a statement from the Business Office if there is a change in the plan.​ Optical Plan - The Board of Education will provide a family optical plan for the Assistant Superintendent during employment with the District. The Assistant Superintendent will receive a statement from the Business Office if there is a change in the plan. 125 Plan - The Assistant Superintendent will receive $400 for the purchase of additional benefits through the district’s 125 plan. ​ Health and Retirement Benefits - The district agrees to provide a decreasing term life insurance policy in the amount of $25,000 for the Assistant Superintendent if their retirement takes effect at the time that they are employed by the school district. The conditions of this agreement shall be governed by the rules for providing life insurance for retirees as set forth by the carrier from whom the school district is purchasing life insurance ($25,000 policy) at the District’s cost. Sick leave can be accumulated to a maximum of 240 days. The district will pay $90 for each accumulated sick day beyond 100 at the time of the Assistant Superintendent’s retirement. If the Assistant Superintendent retires from the district into the New York State Retirement System, they will have the opportunity to participate in the health insurance program during retirement as offered by the Board of Education. This will include Medicare Part B premium reimbursement at the standard base rate only when they become qualified. If the retiree accepts an individual plan, the Board will contribute to the premium as follows: After the completion of 7 years of service in the district, 70% of the individual or family premium; After the completion of 10 years of service in the district, 80% of the individual or family premium. To be eligible for retiree health coverage, the Assistant Superintendent will give advance written notice to the Superintendent of Schools of their intention to retire by January 1 of a given year for a June 30 ​ retirement (6 months’ notice). This provision of a January 1 date may be waived by the Superintendent of Schools. If a retiree becomes eligible for comparable coverage through another employer while retired, the retiree must avail himself of that employer’s policy and may elect to return to the district’s plan when such employment terminates. The provisions of the minimum of seven years of service in the district and advanced written notice may be waived upon permission of the Superintendent of Schools if the employee has a serious illness or other unavoidable personal circumstances. The district agrees to provide the Assistant Superintendent with family dental and family optical coverage through the group policies of the District, (currently CTA BTF), at no cost during retirement. Physical Examination - The Board of Education shall require the Assistant Superintendent to undergo a physical examination prior to the beginning of each school year. The district will assume that part of the expense not covered by insurance or the Benefit Trust up to $250.00. Disability Insurance - The Board will also provide disability insurance for the Assistant Superintendent as now covered through the existing policy of the Administrative unit. The Assistant Superintendent will receive a statement from the Business Office if there is a change in the plan. Benefits - The district agrees to pay a sum, not to exceed $1,000 per school year, toward payment of professional association dues. Tax Sheltered Annuities - The Croton-Harmon School District uses OMNI to administer the tax sheltered annuities. The district reserves the right to limit the number of eligible companies to which the staff member can make contributions and will make every effort to maintain the current list of eligible accounts. Travel Reimbursement - The district will reimburse the Assistant Superintendent for approved conference expenses including registration fees, public transportation, meals, lodging, and other necessary expenses related to district travel in accordance with Board policy. You will receive the sum of $225 per month in lieu of being reimbursed at a mileage rate for personal use of your own vehicle on district business. The Assistant Superintendent must provide documentation of reimbursable mileage by December 1st of the fiscal year to the Business Office if you elect to have the mileage reimbursement paid through Accounts Payable rather than as part of your salary. Personal Working Conditions - The Assistant Superintendent shall have the right to review the contents of their personnel file in the District Office upon request. Material descriptive of the Assistant Superintendent’s conduct, service, character or personality shall not be placed in their personnel file unless the Assistant Superintendent has had an opportunity to review the material. The Assistant Superintendent shall acknowledge that they have had the opportunity to review such materials by affixing their signature to the copy to be filed with the express understanding that such signature in no way indicates agreement with the contents thereof. The Assistant Superintendent will also have the right to submit a written statement with respect to such material, and such statement shall be reviewed with the Superintendent of Schools and attached to the Assistant Superintendent’s file. Graduate credits and in-service credits earned shall be listed and updated periodically. Salary - The salary of the Assistant Superintendent for the 2026-2027 school year will be $238,000. In each year of the contract, a merit pay increase of up to $4,000 will be awarded, based on meeting mutually agreed upon goals according to specified criteria. The criteria will be defined with the Superintendent as goals are established. Merit pay will be awarded only if the major responsibilities of the Assistant Superintendent’s role have been satisfied and the mutually agreed upon goals have been achieved. The ​ Assistant Superintendent will submit a reflection on success in achieving the previous year’s goals in July. This will be reviewed by the Superintendent of Schools prior to completing the administrator’s annual summary evaluation. The manner in which merit pay, earned in the 2026-2027 school year, will be applied to the administrator’s base salary shall be up to the Superintendent’s discretion. Should the Assistant Superintendent leave the service of the district at the end of the school year, 100% will be paid by the end of July. Legal Counsel - In addition to those rights provided by law, the Board agrees to provide legal counsel and to indemnify the Assistant Superintendent against all uninsured financial loss arising out of any claim, demand, suit, or judgment by reason of alleged negligence or other conduct resulting in bodily or other injury to any person, or damage to the property of any person committed while the Assistant Superintendent is acting in the performance of their duties within the scope of employment, or under the direction of the Board. This obligation shall supplement and be in addition to any rights which the Assistant Superintendent may have arising under the laws of the State of New York including, but not limited to, Education Law 3023, 3028, 3811, 3813, Article 18 of the Public Officers Law, and Board of Education Policy 9130. Terms of Contract - These terms shall remain in effect until and if they are changed, and are subject to approval by the Board of Education. If you have any questions, please contact me. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Sincerely, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Stephen Walker ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Superintendent of Schools SW:dc ​