Pay up every year

Though he already far outpaces every other superintendent in the region, Hammond still receives annual cost-of-living increases, or, if he chooses to waive such an increase, he can instead accept the same percentage raise given to any bargaining unit that same year. An ever-expanding amount of sick leave further guarantees another bump to Hammond’s wages if he chooses to cash it out.

His contract stipulates that he receives 30 days of sick time annually, plus an additional five days for every year of employment, and can cash out the full amount every year.

Hammond, who is required to work only 222 days a year, received 85 days of sick leave and 25 days of vacation in 2021. He cashed out all 110 days. By comparison,

In a 2014 interview, Hammond said he specifically wanted a limit on how many days he could cash out when he leaves the district to “mitigate some kind of exorbitant payout.” The district now limits the total amount he can exchange upon his exit to two years. Instead, he’s spread the cash-outs across several years instead, ensuring he will not only get a big payout at the end of his time with the district, but also smaller payouts in the interim.

Ontario-Montclair has paid Hammond an extra $730,000 in exchange for 522 of the 665 days of leave he has accrued since July 2015. Based on Hammond’s 222day work year, that’s roughly the equivalent of 2½ years of leave.

Previously, board President Elvia Rivas defended Hammond’s pay and benefits, saying the district had opted to pay more to encourage longevity and thus avoid the disruptions seen in other districts when superintendents have moved on.

“Students and school systems genuinely suffer from superintendent turnover,” she said last year. “After finding the right leader for OMSD, the Board elected to structure Dr. Hammond’s compensation in a way that provided financial incentives for