District 113 Pays $300K To Make Superintendent Go Away

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Township High School District 113 is headed for its fifth superintendent in five years, as board members approved a $300,000 payment to Christopher Dignam as part of a negotiated resignation deal, Pioneer Press reported. Following a closed door discussion, board members voted 5-1 to sign on to the severance in a settlement agreement with their top employee. The board has not disclosed the reasoning behind its decision, or the full terms of the settlement it approved, but it did announce the superintendent's resignation would be effective June 30.

The move comes 15 months after Dignam received a contract extension until 2021 and a raise to a $250,000 base annual salary following his request for a mid-year review. Since then, the board has seen one new member elected – Lizzy Garlovsky, now board president – and one appointed to fill a vacancy – Gayle Byck, following Julie Gordon's resignation.

Alena Laube was the lone vote against approving the settlement, and board member David Small said, through a statement read at Tuesday's meeting, he would have voted against the separation agreement, according to Pioneer Press. The special board meeting was announced Sunday night with the minimum amount of notice legally required under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

The district had yet to provide a copy of the separation agreement as of Friday afternoon. Generally, such school district separation agreements generally include provisions about not suing each other, trying to get another job at the district and restricting any official comment about the employee's tenure to an agreed-upon letter of recommendation.

» EARLIER: D-113 Set To Part Ways With Superintendent

Dignam's two-year tenure has coincided with the departure of most senior district administrators and several department heads longtime teachers who have left for what other staff members described as "lateral moves." A steady stream of teachers and community members have been speaking out about Dignam's leadership at recent board meetings, describing an environment in which classroom educators felt ignored.

The results of this year's anonymous staff climate survey suggest the concerns with the administrators were shared wildly. Only 11 percent of teachers who responded to the survey (about half of district faculty) agreed with the statement, "There is an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in this district." Many offered scathing criticism for district leadership.

In a statement issued earlier this month, Dignam said the the district had been in a "state of leadership transition." He said distrust for the district office and board preceded his hiring, and repairing those relationships, "will take time, especially given the fragile and vulnerable state of our schools following the retirements and departures of school and district leaders over the past few years."

Dignam has declined to respond to repeated requests for an interview. He did not attend Tuesday's meeting.

However, a press release issued following the special meeting including a statement from the outgoing superintendent listing off his accomplishments. He cited the district's "first Strategic Plan," a "Communication Plan," and wrapping up capitol improvement projects funded by a 2013 referendum, among other things.

"With these successes in mind," Dignam said. "I would like to inform you that I will be moving on as superintendent at the conclusion of the current school year. It has been a pleasure serving the community and I will always value the relationships I have built during our time together. "

District 113 includes Deerfield and Highland Park high schools. It is the only non-union high school district in the state. Credentialed educators and counselors are represented in negotiations by the District 113 Education Association.

"My hope for District 113 is it shall remain student-centered and committed to the many new programs and initiatives implemented over the past couple of years," Dignam said. "I look forward to assisting during this time of transition to ensure our District 113’s continued success.”

Board President Lizzy Garlovsky said the board was excited to start the process of finding its next superintendent and wanted to hear from everyone about it.

"The board is committed to making the search process thorough as well as collaborative among all District 113 stakeholders," Garlovsky said in the release. "We deeply value the voices in our community and neither the process nor the end result would be complete without these voices. Details about the process have not been finalized and as such will be forthcoming."

Several community members who spoke during public comment ahead of the board's vote on the deal at the May 22 special meeting suggested it may be difficult to attract top-class administrators to District 113, due to the turnover at the top.

After the early retirement of former superintendent George Fornero in 2014 the board's pick for the job pulled out after questions over conflict of interest and her husband's anonymous online trolling. A retired Wisconsin superintendent was brought in on an interim basis before the board decided to pick Dignam, who had been hired as Deerfield High School principal the previous year.

Related:

• D113's Fornero to Retire at End of Next School Year
• Kimbrel Resigns Amid Controversy
  
• District 113 Names Interim Superintendent
  
• Next D113 Superintendent Will Be Current Deerfield Principal
  
• Dignam Wants Drug-Sniffing Dogs in High Schools