The leader of Tucsonβs largest school district will be paid $200,000 to leave immediately, more than a year before his contract was scheduled to end.
After more than two weeks of deliberations behind closed doors and public discussions being tabled twice, the Tucson Unified School Districtβs Governing Board voted Tuesday to accept Superintendent H.T. Sanchezβs resignation in a 3-2 vote.
Rachael Sedgwick, a new board member who started the discussion by asking to review Sanchezβs employment at the Feb. 14 meeting, voted in favor, along with board President Michael Hicks and board Clerk Mark Stegeman.
Sanchezβs resignation is effective immediately. His seat at the board table was vacant Tuesday night. He was paid through Tuesday and an additional sum of $200,000, according to his separation agreement.
The agreement also contains a non-disparagement clause for board members to βrefrain from making derogatory statements about the other.β
Sanchez, who is the eighth superintendent to leave the district in the past 20 years, was first hired in 2013, from a district in Odessa, Texas, to oversee 86 schools in Tucson. His contract had been scheduled to end June 30, 2018, and he was paid an annual base salary of $270,000, not including performance bonuses and vacation payouts.
Stefanie Boe, a district spokeswoman, previously said a new superintendent search would cost about $60,000.
Sanchez said Tuesday in a letter to district employees:
βRegardless of the outcome of tonightβs meeting, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you. Let me begin by simply saying β You are amazing. You embody the best of Tucson. It has been an honor to serve as superintendent of TUSD. You go above and beyond to do great work for our students and their families. I will not forget the many of you who sat down with me or stopped me in a hallway to share your ideas, concerns or aspirations. I have enjoyed the classroom visits, the opportunities to read to our students, and the lessons I learned from our conversations. The Tucson community is truly blessed by you, and I know that, personally, as you have positively touched the lives of my entire family.β
Board members Adelita Grijalva and Kristel Foster, both of whom have maintained their support for Sanchez, gave impassioned speeches in support of Sanchez before the vote. βIn my opinion, it has been a witch hunt after our superintendent,β Grijalva said during the meeting, alleging that Hicks, Stegeman and Sedgwick conspired to get Sanchez out.
Hicks previously told the Star that Sanchez had done some good and bad things during his time at TUSD. For example, Sanchez brought the Steps to Success program, which partners with local public figures to get students to return to school. However, βI donβt think weβve really focused on student achievement. I donβt think we focused on curriculum rigor. Thereβs a lot of things we didnβt focus on.β
Stegeman had pointed out high administrative costs and declining enrollment in the district, among other issues. Sedgwick previously said she initially wanted to see about putting Sanchez on a performance plan when she requested to review his employment. Her concerns about Sanchez included teacher recruitment and retention, she said.
Much of the discussion surrounding Sanchezβs future with the district happened behind closed doors in executive sessions and private meetings between a lawyer and the three board members who voted in favor of Sanchezβs resignation.
The lawyer, Bill Brammer, met with the three members separately before he was officially appointed through a vote during the Feb. 21 meeting.
The Governing Board room at Duffy Community Center, 5145 E. Fifth St., was packed with community members for the third week in a row Tuesday night to speak in support or opposition for Sanchezβs resignation. However, the public comment portion of the meeting happened after the vote.
The teachersβ union is in the beginning stages of negotiating teacher contracts, said Jason Freed, president of the Tucson Education Association. βWeβre not quite sure what the direction will beβ with nobody in the superintendent seat, he added.
The weekslong process regarding Sanchezβs exit has been βfrustrating,β he said. βWeβve been focusing on this instead of our kidsβ education.β