News

Former superintendent gets another $22,000 in sick leave buyback


Published: August 7, 2008

SALEM — The School Committee transferred $21,900 this week to pay the second half of retired Superintendent Larry Callahan's sick-leave payout.

Callahan's contract entitled him to be paid extra if he did not get sick and need to take days off. When he retired, he was awarded $40,000 in extra pay for unused sick time. He chose to spread his payout out over two years.

Sick-leave buybacks — paying an employee for sick days they don't use — have been part of city employee contracts for years. In 2007, the School Committee decided to stop offering the benefit to non-union administrators, and to reduce the benefit for teachers.

The committee changed its policy, however, when hiring Superintendent William Cameron in 2007. Cameron will be entitled to sick leave buyback when he leaves, but at a much lower rate than Callahan's.