BOE: Habel Payout More Than $400,000

The payout for retired superintendent of schools James F. Habel will cost the school district more than $400,000, according to school board President John Tavis.

Tavis during Tuesday's regular Board of Education meeting said that Habel, who retired in June after taking a six-month medical leave, will receive a $408,800 payout for unused sick and vacation time in accordance with a contract that also gives him lifetime health insurance.

Habel was entitled to 106.5 days of unused sick time, at a daily rate of just more than $934 a day, bringing the total to $99,470, Tavis said. Habel, however, used 81 days during his leave of absence.

The former superintendent, Tavis said, also is entitled to 363 days of accrued vacation time, because Habel in 11 years never used his vacation days. At the time of the contract, there was no cap on the amount of payout or number of days that could accrue.

The board has been paying Habel for his accrued time — which is now capped for new superintendents — since 2007, Tavis said.

"We were paying him along the way, at his per diem rate for that year, rather than waiting to the end and paying him at his highest rate," Tavis said. "By doing that -- we would have had to have paid him approximately $30,000 more.''

The board this year will pay Habel for the final 92 days of his accrued vacation time, for a total accrued vacation time paycheck of $309,330.