LAWRENCE — The city's interim school superintendent, Mary Lou Bergeron, will be paid $175,000 for the year that started in July.
The amount was finalized last night as Bergeron and the School Committee reached an agreement during an executive session, which took place before the regular meeting of the committee.
Mayor William Lantigua had suggested $190,000 as her salary, but some committee members thought that amount was too much, he said. Lantigua said the $190,000 was on the lower end for the work Bergeron will do and was in line with the budget.
"I am happy with it," Bergeron said after the committee voted in open session to formally approve the salary. "It is not about the money, but moving forward."
"I think you are worth a whole lot more than that," Lantigua said to Bergeron of the $175,000. "It's not fair."
Committee Vice Chairman Sammy Reyes said after the meeting that he was the one who suggested the $175,000. "At this particular time with this budget crisis I thought $190,000 was too steep," he said.
Bergeron, 51, of Methuen previously made $139,000. A Lawrence native, she has worked in the city schools for 29 years. She had been assistant superintendent since 2003.
Former Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy, 59, of Methuen was making $200,000 a year when the committee fired him in April after he was indicted on eight counts of fraud and embezzlement charging that he used School Department employees and resources for his own personal gain.
The committee appointed Bergeron acting superintendent in May of last year after Laboy took medical leave.
The committee also offered Bergeron a $15,000 stipend last night for her work last year as acting superintendent while she continued to perform her duties as assistant superintendent. She turned the offer down, Lantigua said.
"How can I ask other people to make concessions while taking more money?" Bergeron said. "I had to lead by example."
Reyes said he was not pleased with the way Laboy set goals and the lack of accountability and wanted the committee to work with Bergeron to come up with clear goals to help move the district forward.
"I recommended these goals to make sure we have something to measure the superintendent with when it comes time for her evaluation," he said.
Some of the draft items for the superintendent goals include establishing budget development with resources managed efficiently, improving the quality of communication with the community, and developing a district strategic plan.
Reyes and School Committee member Frank Bonet worked on the goals with Bergeron. One goal Bergeron personally added was to create a turnaround plan for each underperforming school and oversee an implementation plan.
"I'd like to thank Dr. Bergeron for all the work she's done and for agreeing to this salary and setting up goals," Reyes said. "Our previous superintendent would have never agreed to this."
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine
Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48
Maine GOP Chairman Says Romney Wins Caucuses
Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
US Airmen's Killer Sentenced to Life in Germany
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Raw Video: Deadly Blasts in Syria
Romney Slams President Obama at CPAC
Gingrich: Pres. Obama 'waging War on Religion'
5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La.
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
