Former Superintendent Lee Lesisko opted to retire earlier this month from the Pleasant Valley School District, but the district is still paying him.

According to his retirement and release agreement effective June 10 obtained through a right-to-know request, Lesisko will receive six months of his salary, minus any required withholdings. This is consistent with the contract he signed when he accepted the position of superintendent.

In his employment contract under the section titled Early Separation Options, if there was more than six months remaining in his three year contract at the time of separation, then the school district agreed to pay six months of his salary as a severance. The amount would be calculated by dividing his current annual base salary by two.

Lesisko was offered a base salary of $155,000 per year (prorated) effective April 1, 2020, for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. He received a 2% increase effective July 1, 2020, for the 2020-2021 school year. This brought him up to $158,100. The 2% increase also would have been given for both the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years had he decided to stay.

Over the next six months, Lesisko’s severance will total $79,050, before taxes and other withholdings are subtracted from it.

The severance package doesn’t stop there.

Although not included in the Early Separation Options of his employment contract, the retirement and release agreement grants Lesisko 10 years of single health care coverage with the premiums paid for by the school district.

It was not stated in the agreement how much the premiums cost, and Jessica Tomon, the human resources director, is out of the office until July 6.

The retirement and release agreement did state that he is eligible for these health care benefits, because he is a former administrator and participant in the Act 93 agreement. Act 93 is state legislation adopted in 2015 under the Education and State Employees Retirement Code.

Lesisko also will receive $70 per day for accrued but not used sick leave days, as well as payment at his per diem rate for any unused vacation days.

Lesisko’s year as superintendent has been filled with one turmoil after the other. He dealt with the resignations of the assistant superintendent, human resources director, business manager and the director of pupil services, then faced the unpopular decision to furlough 52 paraprofessionals last summer.

After school started, there was public criticism for his handling of the district’s cybercharter school, as well as the hybrid program for the students in the brick-and-mortar classrooms.

As the school year progressed, criticism mounted over mask wearing and sending the students back into the classrooms full time.

Most recently, teachers were upset over the possible furlough of 40 colleagues, bus drivers were upset over the initially failed contract with First Student, and residents were upset about a possible tax increase of 4.1%.