MARBLEHEAD — Two School Committee members are reacting with slow fury to the apparent decision of Superintendent Paul Dulac to hire a new business manager last month — without the approval of the School Committee.
The administration, meanwhile, is indicating that the board will get its say.
"It's an outrage that a business manager would be given a two-year agreement at $125,000 a year with no approval from the School Committee," school board member Jonathan Lederman said. He said he has seen a contract signed by Superintendent Paul Dulac and the new business manager, Brian Salzer.
"It was never presented to the board," said Dick Nohelty, another member of the School Committee. "I thought it needed to go to the full board. But he's been hired. And we learned about it in the newspapers."
Salzer was lured away from Swampscott, where he is completing his first year as high school principal at a salary of $124,000. His new salary, $125,000, exceeds the $103,000 that Marblehead had earmarked for the business manager, according to Nohelty.
Salzer submitted his resignation in Swampscott on May 27, effective June 30. The Swampscott School Committee said it was prepared to make a counteroffer to try to keep him, but Salzer refused, saying he had already made the decision to accept Marblehead's offer.
Glenn Koocher, director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, said state law is clear: "The law is that the business manager is hired by the School Committee, often with the recommendation of the superintendent."
The two board members say newly elected board Chairwoman Patricia Blackmer apparently was involved in the decision to hire Salzer, since she was quoted in a May 31 Salem News story discussing it, while her colleagues knew nothing about it.
"It's a clear violation of our policies," Lederman said.
Blackmer declined to comment for this story. "I think I should speak to them directly," she said of the other board members, "rather than go through the press." School Committee member Eurim Chun would say only that she wanted to hear from Dulac and her colleagues before responding on the record. Kathy Leonardson could not be reached.
Dulac is unavailable for comment as he recovers from bypass surgery. But Acting Superintendent Robert Bellucci insists that the hiring process has not been completed.
"The School Committee has the right (to approve it)," he said. "Brian (Salzer) knows that, and the superintendent (Dulac) confirmed it this morning (Friday)."
Lederman, for one, is not leaning toward approving anything.
"If the superintendent approved this without the required School Committee approval," Lederman said, "I would move to revisit the contract and I would not be supportive of it."
He noted that the business manager's signed contract allows for 12 holidays, 22 vacation days and 18 sick days. It also includes a sick leave buyback provision, allowing a portion of unused days to accrue over time and be cashed in when he leaves or retires, Lederman said.
There could be good reasons for hiring a business manager at that salary, Nohelty said, but the board should still be involved in deciding. "The budget is going to be significantly tight," he warned.
This is the second controversy around the school department's business manager in recent months.
Earlier this year, Salzer's predecessor was dismissed because of errors in contracting for work at Village School.
Prior to his arrival in Swampscott, Salzer was principal of Newton South High School. He was also principal of Sauk Prairie High School in Prairie du Sac, Wisc. Salzer has degrees in English and education, as well as an educational specialist certificate (which he describes as the "equivalent" of a doctorate) from the University of Wisconsin.
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