PLEASANT VALLEY, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — There's a bit of controversy in the Poconos over the proposed salary of a school district superintendent.
He recently resigned, but the district wants to rehire him with a hefty pay raise.
This issue wasn't on tonight's agenda, but at least one board member brought up the issue and his concerns over the matter.
The superintendent of Pleasant Valley School District James Konrad's salary was in the spotlight Thursday night.
Konrad, who was in the top spot for three years, recently resigned.
Now the district wants to rehire him and throw in a $25,000 increase, bringing his total salary to $215,000 a year, on par with other superintendents in the area.
EMA class prepares for future crisesBut some are opposed to rehiring Konrad.
"James I've always supported you. We've come a long way the past three years. However, your lack of response, assurance, and actions since the last board meeting has put me at a stance for moving forward. I will not support opening your contract until expiration," said Pleasant Valley School Board Vice President Michael Galler.
It's unclear when Konrad handed in his recent resignation, which the school board accepted.
However, it's been documented that his last pay raise was this past August.
So, if the resolution to re-hire is passed, it would be Konrad's second raise in three months, which has some in the district concerned.
"And when our community realized you would not acknowledge their concerns and rumors they left and all you can say was thanks for coming out," Galler explained.
For comparison, roughly 8,000 students attend Pocono Mountain, and around 5,000 are at each East Stroudsburg and Stroudsburg School Districts while only 4,000 are enrolled at Pleasant Valley.
Some wonder if a bigger pay raise is justified for a smaller school district.
"I believe that could have been handled better," Galler stated.
A decision will be made at a later time. If the resolution is passed, this will be Konrad's second raise in three months.