HAVERHILL — It will be a while before Haverhill's representatives to the Whittier Regional School Committee meet with city officials over why the Whittier principal is being paid while not working.
But when they do meet, there should be much to discuss.
Whittier officials agreed yesterday to The Eagle-Tribune's request for copies of the contracts for Principal Deborah DePaolo and other administrators at the school. The newspaper requested the contracts last week under state public records laws.
Mayor James Fiorentini said he has also requested a copy of DePaolo's contract. Fiorentini, who practiced law before becoming mayor, said he is outraged that DePaolo is being paid even though she has resigned, according to Whittier Superintendent William DeRosa.
The Eagle-Tribune and the mayor requested the contract after DeRosa said last week that DePaolo is still being paid her $120,869 annual salary because her contract calls for it. He said she was also paid while on an earlier administrative leave that began in December and lasted close to two months. In December, DeRosa sent the Whittier staff a memo saying DePaolo had left the school to pursue an advanced degree.
Haverhill School Committee President Shaun Toohey said he does not expect the city's two representatives to the Whittier board to address the School Committee during its regular meeting tonight.
"I think you'll see that item come up in a few weeks," Toohey said yesterday.
Last week, School Committee member Scott Wood said he wants to call those representatives — Richard Early Jr. and Christopher Kelley — to a School Committee meeting to discuss DePaolo's situation.
The School Committee appoints Haverhill's representatives to the Whittier board.
The board has representatives from the 11 communities in Greater Haverhill and Newburyport that send students to the vocational school. Early is a local contractor, and Kelley formerly taught at Whittier and worked there as an administrator.
Initially, DeRosa refused to let The Eagle-Tribune review DePaolo's contract, saying Whittier's lawyer advised him it is a personnel record and therefore not public.
Yesterday, Mayor James Fiorentini said he is looking at various ways of obtaining a copy of the contract. When asked about the situation last week, he said he doubted DePaolo's continued pay is the result of her contract. He said it is likely part of a settlement between her and the school.
"I think the public is entitled to this information, and we'll try a number of different options to get it to them," Fiorentini said.
Fiorentini said he sees no value in asking Early and Kelly to address the committee "until they get a ruling from their board's lawyer" on the contract.
Fiorentini said he filed a request for the information under the Freedom of Information Act last week.
The request, dated March 8, asks DeRosa and Whittier School Committee Chairman Charles LaBella for a copy of DePaolo's contract, copies of the minutes of any school committee meetings where her contract or termination of contract was discussed or voted on, copies of any correspondence between lawyers on both sides, and copies of any settlement or termination agreements with DePaolo.
Attorney Jeffrey Pyle, who represents The Eagle-Tribune, said a contract between a school district and an employee is not exempt from the public records law.
DeRosa announced DePaolo's resignation at the Whittier Regional School Committee's Feb. 24 meeting. Her resignation will take effect at the end of the school year, he said.
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