By Linda Conner Lambeck

WESTPORT–For the first time since he became schools’ superintendent in 2020, the vote to extend Thomas Scarice’s contract was not unanimous.

The 5-2 vote was not based on job performance, according to comments made during a special meeting held Wednesday morning, but tied to the four percent raise Scarice will receive in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Bad look

“It’s a bad look,” said Board Member Robert Harrington, who cast one of the negative votes.

Later in an email, Harrington said his “no” vote was based on both the salary increase and job performance.

 “There have been some huge wins this year and I shared that with the Superintendent in our one-on-one review meeting,” Harrington said. “However, there were some major issues too.”

Purely financial

School Vice Chair Dorie Hordon, who also voted no, said after the meeting her decision was purely financial.

“I am supportive of Scarice’s work,” Hordon said in an email.

She said she worried, however, about the long-term budget implication of escalating pay above inflation year after year.

“I am not in favor of the four percent,” said Hordon.

If not four percent, what, asked Board Member Jill Dillon.

Hordon said she would have supported the 3.5 percent she proposed when the matter was discussed in executive session.

The inflation rate, she noted, is below 3 percent. While an effort was made in recent years to keep salaries competitive with neighboring districts, Hordon said there comes a point where the increases become fiscally irresponsible.

Priorities

Harrington agreed, saying the district was creating bigger problems.

“I think we have our priorities wrong,” said Harrington. “I don’t think it is appropriate for key employees of the Westport Public Schools such as nurses and custodians to be getting a smaller raise this year than the cabinet or the man in the top spot – especially given it’s been a mixed year.”

Board Member Abby Tolan pointed out that the difference between a 3.5 and 4 percent raise was somewhat minimal.

Last year, Scarice was awarded a 3 percent annual salary increase and his annual base salary for the year that just ended was $321,661. He is the town’s highest paid official.

Contract extended

Along with the raise, the board tacked a year onto the contract, keeping it a three-year deal that expires in June 2028.

Board Chair Lee Goldstein called the four percent increase consistent with other local school districts as well as the raises given to both non-union staff late last month, and to three district labor unions-–maintenance workers, nurses and paraprofessionals-–in new contracts approved Wednesday.

Although the percentage increases for those unions come in around 3 percent annually, there are longevity steps built into the deals that bring the overall salary impact to 4 percent, at least in the first year.

Not a raise

Goldstein said that pay levels matter when it comes to recruiting top talent in a shrinking pool of talent.

A raise based on the rate of inflation isn’t a raise at all, Goldstein added, but rather a cost-of-living adjustment.

“The Board believes Superintendent Scarice continues to do an excellent job leading our school district,” Goldstein said after the meeting.

She offered a list of accomplishments including redistricting, oversight of the planning for a new Long Lots Elementary School and Stepping Stones Preschool, a continued focus on elementary reading, a rehaul of our transportation contracts which cut two buses and saved thousands, and the successful implementation of No Place for Hate at all eight schools.

Positives / failures

Goldstein said there remains challenges and opportunities for improvement – as in any system.

“As always, the Board addresses those concerns with our Superintendent and Administrative team,” Goldstein said.

“There were great wins this year,” said Board Member Jill Dillon.

Harrington acknowledged the positives but said it is also OK for the board to sometimes be critical.

“There have been tough failures as well,” Harrington said.

Coaches

Harrington has been publicly critical of the administration’s handling of the contract non-renewals of three members of the Staples High School soccer coaching staff.

“Not one mention for BOE about the controversy within our athletics department,” Harrington said after the meeting. “Not one mention from them about the on-going soccer renewal hearings–which are still not complete. Not one word of criticism about any of the investigations.” 

Board Member Kevin Christie, saying he was supportive of both the four percent raise and the three-year contract, said after the meeting that the board should and does share with the administration where improvements can be made.

The board’s evaluation of the superintendent is conducted in executive session. It is only disclosable if the review is put in writing. It is not.

Different every year

Harrington said this year, instead of meeting with the superintendent collectively to critique his performance, board members were invited to sit down with Scarice individually. He said he is not sure why.

Harrington said he met with Scarice on Monday.

Scarice, in an email, said the board has approached his review differently every year.

Last year, Scarice said the board asked him to respond to a series of questions about the district, which culminated in a meeting of the full board. This year, Scarice said the board did not provide questions but asked that he make himself available for one-on-one meetings prior to a vote.

Maintenance, nurses and paraprofessional contracts

After approval of the superintendent’s contract, contracts for maintenance staff, nurses and paraprofessionals were each approved on a 6-1 vote with Harrington voting no.

Goldstein called them strong contracts. In each case, the wage increases came with increases in employee contribution to health insurance.

Harrington said he would have liked to have seen the three unions get more.

In that case, Tolan suggested Harrington should have sat in on negotiations with the unions as she and Dillon had done.

Scarice: grateful

Reached by email after the meeting, Scarice said he is grateful for the contract extension and for the board publicly acknowledging this year’s accomplishments.

“We continue to maintain academic performance levels at or near the highest in the state with outstanding college acceptance rates,” Scarice said.

In addition to those mentioned by the board, Scarice said the district also successfully rolled out a new student code of conduct, continued execution of a district capital improvement program for our facilities, and completed another successful budget season, with strong support from the Board of Finance and RTM.  

Linda Conner Lambeck

^{_{Linda Conner Lambeck covers education for Westport Journal. She was a reporter for more than four decades at the Connecticut Post and other Hearst publications. She has covered education throughout Fairfield and New Haven counties. She is a proud member of the Education Writers Association.}}