Suiter appointed to fill vacant spot on board

 

CHESAPEAKE — With three years left on his contract, Dr. Scott Howard has resigned as superintendent of the Chesapeake school district.

Howard’s approximately three-sentence resignation letter was read by treasurer Sandra Benson at a special board of education meeting Friday evening. The resignation will take effect July 31.

Howard, who did not attend the meeting, gave no reason in his letter for why he wants to leave the district. He also did not return a call to his cell phone as of press time.

The school board tabled accepting the resignation and will meet with the district’s attorney Monday to discuss what action it will take.

“We want to get counsel and look at his contract,” School Board president Carl Lilly said after the meeting. “We want to make sure of any provisions he has to fulfill before he is gone and we have to fulfill.”

The board also appointed Art Suiter to replace Dr. Kim Oxley, who resigned earlier this month from the board. Suiter, who did not attend the meeting, served on the school board about 10 years ago.

The 59-year-old Howard, who was once superintendent of Ironton City Schools and a district in northern Ohio, took over as superintendent at Chesapeake in the fall of 2007.

In August 2010 his contract was extended for five years at a base salary of $100,786 with a minimum raise of three percent each year. He receives 30 days vacation each year, which can be accumulated.

According to his contract the superintendent would be paid for all vacation days at his per day salary at the time of his separation from employment. The superintendent is also entitled to full pay for one half of his accumulated sick leave.

The district also paid $850 a month for a tax-sheltered annuity policy for the superintendent and the full premium on a $25,000 life insurance policy.

During Howard’s time at Chesapeake, the district’s schools were named Schools of Excellence by the Ohio Department of Education. An after-school program was started for the middle and elementary schools and work was started this fall on a more than $3 million athletic complex.

Also at the meeting, the board hired Ty Johnson as assistant to the high school principal at a salary of $50,000; and rejected the sole bid received on Phase II for the athletic complex because it was $177,000 over the architect’s estimate.