Pennridge agrees to pay, benefits for superintendent who announced resignation in June
The Pennridge School District will provide four months salary and long-term health benefits to outgoing Superintendent David Bolton, who announced his resignation in June.
The school board has approved a severance agreement to pay Bolton through October and keep both he and his spouse on the district’s health plan until they turn age 65.
The agreement bars Bolton from filing any future “complaints, charges, grievances or unfair labor practices” against Pennridge. In other words, he can't sue or be a part of any legal complaint against the district.
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On June 21, Bolton suddenly announced he would leave his position effective Oct. 31 and without citing a specific reason. Details of his severance agreement were not discussed at school board meetings. School board solicitor Michael Miller has advised the board not to comment.
Bolton came to Pennridge after working as an assistant superintendent in the Central Bucks School District. Before that, Bolton was principal of the Unami Middle School in Chalfont.
In 2022, Bolton earned $230,625 with Pennridge, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. If he earned, on average, $19,218 per month, then a four-month payout could equal $76,875.
Under the agreement, Pennridge can hire an interim superintendent or even permanent director of schools prior to Bolton's official exit in late October.
What's happening with the Pennridge School Board?
Serving eight towns in Central and Upper Bucks County, Pennridge became a powder keg after Republicans gained all nine seats on the school board in 2021. School board meetings often span three or four hours with more than two hours of public comment.
Supporters say the board is trying to take politics out of the classroom and protect students from inappropriate materials in school libraries. Critics say the board has acted to remove books and symbols which promote understanding of LBGTQ students.
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Recently, the board voted to hire Vermilion Education, a conservative consulting group that seeks a so-called “ideology-free” education. On its website, Vermillion states that “students should not be used by political parties or ideologies.”
Following a right-to-know request, the district posted on its website a copy of April 24 email exchange between Bolton and school board member Megan Banis-Clemens.
When Bolton raised questions about hiring Vermilion and the cost of the contract, Banis-Clemens suggested that Bolton was acting in “bad faith.”
“It actually makes me wonder what you’re worried about," Banis-Clemens wrote in an email exchange to Bolton. “It gives me the impression you have something to hide.”
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Pennridge agrees to salary, benefits for resigning superintendent
