Poway School District Mulls $1M Contract for Superintendent

Some Poway residents are upset about a plan to extend the contract for the Poway Union School District Superintendent who supported a bond sale that will cost the district roughly 10 times the amount to pay  back.

USD Board of Trustees listened to residents at a special meeting to discuss a million dollar contract extension for Superintendent John Collins.

Poway resident John Riley was opposed to extending Collins contract.

"People who have to pay the bond are people in the future. People in the future are going to have to pay for the bad decisions of this leadership today," Riley said.

The board was widely criticized for selling $105 million worth of bonds in 2012 that will cost roughly ten times that to pay back.

Two years ago when the trustees voted to sell land in order to pay some of its bills, Collins explained that the district had been millions of dollars short of what they needed.

He is considered one of the highest-paid superintendents in the state.

Supporters at Monday night's meeting thought Collins' contract should be extended. They described  him as a strong leader with a passion for helping students.

“John is a very strong leader and an ethical person and no one cares more about kids and leading Poway,” said Robert Gravina, PUSD’s Chief Technology Information Officer.

The agenda listed the event as a closed meeting at the district offices. An email publicizing the meeting was sent to parents of students within the district three days prior.

If the proposed contract is approved, it would run through 2017 with an extension to 2018.

The estimated salary is reportedly $297,735 with a $500,000 severance if the contract is terminated early.

Board members did not make any decisions at Monday's closed meeting and they say there was no discussion about Collins' pay.
 

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