A contract is in place for three months for New London’s interim school superintendent.
New London — The Board of Education has agreed to a three-month contract with Interim Superintendent Stephen Tracy that will pay him $750 per day, or about $15,000 a month, plus some benefits.
Tracy was appointed by the school board Aug. 24 to replace retiring superintendent Manuel Rivera, who announced in July he would be leaving after two and a half years leading the district.
The school board approved Tracy’s contract Monday with a 5-1 vote. Board member Jason Catala, who voted against hiring Tracy, cast the lone dissenting vote on Monday. Catala said since he was against the hiring he would not go along with approving a contract and thought the salary was high for the size of New London.
“I think it’s a fair contract,” said school board vice president Margaret Mary “Peg” Curtin. “The guy certainly has the credentials, no doubt about it.”
Tracy arrived in the district Monday, just three days before the start of school. He was one of four people interviewed for the interim position and came as a recommendation from Rivera.
Tracy served as school superintendent in New Milford from 1985 to 1993; at Edison Schools, Inc., a for-profit school management company, from 1993 to 2007; and was the school superintendent in Derby from 2008 to 2012.
From 2012 to 2015 Tracy served as the superintendent of schools for the state Department of Children and Families, known as Unified District 2, which is responsible for the education of children in foster care.
His most recent job was as interim superintendent in Fairfield, where he was employed for five months and earned a $12,000 per month salary for the first three months and $10,000 a month thereafter, according to published reports.
Tracy’s contract in New London runs from Aug. 28 to Nov. 23 but can be extended by the school board by up to one year.
The contract also provides for 31.5 hours of sick time, 21 hours of vacation and $1,750 to pay for insurance. Tracy will also be paid a monthly stipend of $500 for reimbursement of travel expenses.
School board President Scott Garbini earlier this month appointed a search committee to find the district’s next superintendent. The committee includes the seven-member school board and initially five others chosen by Garbini to represent the school district and public. He announced the addition of two more people on Thursday.
The seven members from outside the board include: Kate Fioravanti, Lauren Anderson, Melissa Ford, Tommy Thompson, Elizabeth Sked, Bryan Mahon and Matthew Greene. Greene, the New London probate judge, and Mahon, president of the New London Administrators Education Association, were appointed last week.
The school board on Tuesday scheduled a Sept. 7 public hearing to gather public input on the superintendent search. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut.