BC Superintendent receives five-year contract

Board members elected in May sworn into service

DELMAR – At its July 9 board meeting, the Bethlehem Central School District swore in first time board member Lauren Grasso who won her seat in May’s election.

It also swore in returning board member Katherine Nadeau.

Board president Holly Dellenbaugh was unanimously reelected by the board to serve again as board president, with Meredith Moriarty voted in to again be vice president.

After being sworn in for another term, Nadeau, who sits as the board’s representative on the committee considering the fate of the high school’s Lab School, reported that the committee had met and reviewed survey results. She said the survey was sent to current high school students, both those attending Lab School and the regular high school.

According to Nadeau, Lab School students were asked about the Lab School’s strengths and how it could develop. Non Lab-School students were asked about their understanding of the Lab School. She reported there were no “surprises” in the survey results, but provided no details. Instead she said “it was interesting to see” the responses because there were alot of “the conversations that had played out in meetings.”

Nadeau said the survey results were shared with teachers and will be used to ‘figure out how to best move this conversation forward.”

As for the public’s access to the survey results, district spokesperson JoEllen Gardner, in a written statement said, “When the committee completes its work it will formally report to the Board its findings, and this would likely include highlights from the survey.”

In other business, the board voted to approve a five-year contract, beginning on July 1, 2024 and ending on June 30, 2029 for Superintendent Jody Monroe. The contract, which is available on the board’s website as an attachment to the July 9 meeting agenda, sets forth the Superintendent’s compensation package and a “for cause” provision for termination.

According to the contract’s terms, Monroe will be paid $222, 220 for the 2024-25 school year. The board will increase her compensation at a minimum rate of 3% each contract year based on “effective” evaluation by the Board. The board remains free to increase her pay at a higher amount.

Monroe is also eligible for two one-time longevity payments –$2500 upon completion of five years as Superintendent and $5,000 after 10 years. According to the contract’s terms, the year the Superintendent served as Interim Superintendent in 2015-16 will count as her first year of service toward achieving this benefit.

Additional terms provide $100,000 of life insurance and health, drug and dental insurance benefits. The district will pay for 75% of the premiums for both individual coverage and coverage for the Superintendent’s dependents. She is also eligible for the district paying for 60% of premiums for dental insurance. Upon retirement, the district will pay for 90% of the Superintendents health insurance single coverage and 50% of the cost for a spouse.

Apart from monetary benefits, the Superintendent will receive annually 18 days of personal sick and family leave, 5 days of bereavement leave, 3 days personal leave and 26 vacation days.

The contract provides that the superintendent may be terminated upon mutual agreement, retirement, resignation, death, contract’s expiration or for cause. The contract limits cause to conduct which is prejudicial to the district, including but not limited to neglect of duty, immoral or unethical conduct or breach of contract and also entitles the Superintendent to a hearing on that issue.

According to school administrator compensation data provided by the New York State Department of Education, Monroe’s total compensation package for 2024-25, including salary ($222, 219) and benefits ($54, 963) is worth ($277, 182). That package falls in the middle of several local school districts, including Guilderland, Voorheesville, Ravena Coeymans Selkirk, South Colonie, North Colonie and the Albany City School District.

Looking at salary alone, she is to earn less than Guilderland ($238, 701), City of Albany ($248,000) and South Colonie ($225,953), but more than Superintendents in Voorheesville ($184, 451), Ravena Coeymans Selkirk ($175, 5000 and North Colonie ($209, 000). Looking at total compensation packages that include benefits, she earns less than the Superintendents for Albany ($319, 084), Guilderland ($308, 838), and South Colonie ($336, 160), but more than Ravena Coeymans Selkirk ($238, 989), Voorheesville ($237, 843) and North Colonie ($259, 955).

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