UNDERFUNDED? DMPS agrees to pay outgoing superintendent for an entire year without working

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Education is underfunded. Schools don’t have enough resources. Children are the priority in education.

All lies.

At least based on the actions of the Des Moines Public School Board. On March 2, the board held a special board meeting. The meeting lasted an entire two minutes, 12 seconds. The first 36 seconds or so involved taking roll.

Finally, at the 1:22 mark the board introduces the only item on its agenda.

“The only item on our agenda this evening is the approval of the resignation and separation agreement of Superintendent Ahart,” said board chair Dwana Bradley.

The agreement was then taken up for a vote without any discussion or any questions.

The agreement received unanimous support. The meeting was adjourned about two minutes after it started.

So, what was the agreement?

According to Randy Evans of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, the “severance” agreement includes:

$306,193 in salary
$7,200 for cell phone and car use
$84,019 for a retirement annuity
Life and health insurance through June 30, 2023

Ahart, keep in mind, is resigning at the end of the 2021-22 school year.

“Whether you disliked Superintendent Ahart or adored him, the question the school board never addressed is this: If his contract expires on 6-30-2023 and he decides he wants to leave before then, why on Earth are the taxpayers paying him for a full year for not working,” Evans wrote. “If a Des Moines Schools teacher is under contract until June 30 and decides, for whatever reason, to leave early, there’s no way the school board would agree to pay that teacher for the weeks he or she does not work.”

Author: Jacob Hall