One of the county’s most powerful and well-paid school superintendents — John Collins at the Poway Unified School District — has hired an attorney and wants to negotiate a possible buyout of his $400,000 contract, a school district board member confirmed.
“Any reasonable person could infer we are talking to him about his departure,” Poway Board Member Charles Sellers told NBC 7 Tuesday. “The haste is all being driven by the superintendent. It’s on his timetable.”
Collins did not return phone calls or emails requesting comment for this story. His attorney was not available for comment.
But Collins told the Pomerado News, “The current situation is that the board and the superintendent have agreed that their relationship is not working well and we need to discuss our options going forward in the best interests of the district.”
Collins has led the district for five years. According to “Transparent California,” a website that lists public employee salaries and pensions, the superintendent received $478,000 in total pay and benefits in 2014.
Collins’ tenure has also been marked by controversy, including a contentious bond sale and his decision to rewrite and soften a consultant’s report that was critical of the district’s technology department.
Board Member Sellers told NBC 7 that Collins “didn’t like his (most recent) evaluation … and came to us with an attorney, wanting to talk about his contract.”
On Sunday, the board hired its own attorney as a prelude to negotiations that could very well lead to Collins’ departure.
Sellers said Collins has opposed several changes in the district that are being pushed by Sellers and his allies on the school board.
“For those changes to take effect, we may need a new superintendent,” Sellers said.
School Board President Kimberley Beatty confirmed that the board has hired an attorney, but stressed that it’s premature to assume a deal will be made with Collins that results in his leaving the district.
“The board hasn’t made any decisions with regard to the superintendent or negotiations, or even whether to engage in negotiations,” Beatty told NBC 7.
School board members will meet with their new attorney, Maribel Medina, sometime before the board’s next meeting, which is scheduled for Dec. 15.
