School Committee Unanimously Approves 3-year Contract for Superintendent

The Framingham School Committee unanimously (7-0) approved a new 3-year contract for School Superintendent Stacy Scott Tuesday night.

The contract keeps Scott as the leader of the Framingham Public Schools through June 30, 2017.

“We need to reward and retain our talent,” said School Committee Chair Beverly Hugo, who added that “stability and significant student progress” has been achieved under Scott’s leadership.

The School Committee has been negotiating for months, behind closed doors, on the contract, using interest-based bargaining. They announced last month they had comes to a 3-year agreement but needed to fine tune the terms before voting last night.

Scott has set “high expectations, high standards and is getting results” said Hugo Tuesday night.

Hugo said one of the goals of the new contract was to “stem the tide of the revolving doors of superintendents in Framingham. Dr. Scott is only our sixth superintendent in only a few short years.”

According to terms of the contract read by Hugo (public copies would not be available until Wednesday) Scott will receive cost of living raises of 1.5 percent for each of the next three years.

The contract is retroactive to July 1, 2014. Scott’s base at that date started at $207,000, said Hugo.

There is also bonuses Scott can earn if a level 3 school moves to a level 2 school or a level 2 school moves to a level 1 school. For each school that moves up a level, Scott would receive an additional $2,500.

Merit pay increases were capped at a maximum of $10,000 in fiscal year 2015. The bonus is capped at $15,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $20,000 maximum in fiscal year 2017, explained Hugo.

“We tried to bargain for student achievement,” said Hugo.

Scott was given an increase to $500 a month for a car allowance, as he uses his own personal vehicle to travel in Framingham and throughout the state said Hugo. This is an $84 per month increase from his previous contract.

Scott receives a $83 per month cell phone expense. Scott also receives a $166 per month expense for home Internet, said Hugo, who added his “day does not end at 5 p.m.” She said this “helps him to continue his work at home after hours.”

His vacation days were left unchanged from his previous contract at 25 days.

Five additional sick days were added to make a total of 25 days, said Hugo, who added Scott has only used two sick days since he arrived in Framingham three years ago.

His annunity package increased from $15,000 to $22,000, said Hugo. And he receives a life insurance policy of $541 per month.

Scott was hired at a base salary of $200,000 three years ago, after Steven Hiersche left as Superintendent.