Schenectady school board to eye extending official’s contract

PHOTOGRAPHER: Michael Goot

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Assistant Superintendent for Business Michael San Angelo may be staying with the district past June.

The Board of Education tonight will consider extending his contract one year to June 30, 2011. San Angelo’s existing pact was to expire at the end of June.

He was one of the top administrators whose contract was not extended during a flurry of resolutions the board acted on in late June, before two new members were seated. This sparked speculation that San Angelo was being blamed for the actions of Steven Raucci, the former district facilities director who is currently in jail awaiting trial on terrorism and arson charges.

Raucci also allegedly abused and harassed his work colleagues and was allowed to collect $50,000 in overtime during the last year of his tenure. A recent state comptroller’s office audit faulted the district for a lack of documentation of Raucci’s overtime.

San Angelo was his direct superior and has been named in lawsuits by people who say that he knew of Raucci’s workplace misconduct and did not act.

Former maintenance employee Ryan Rakoske alleged that he tried to inform district officials about Raucci in a May 2005 meeting with San Angelo, then-Superintendent John Falco, then-President Jeff Janiszewski and Human Resources Director Michael Stricos.

The school board meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Central Park International Magnet School.

Superintendent Eric Ely said he is recommending that the board retain San Angelo.

Ely said he could not comment on why San Angelo’s contract was not extended last year: “That was a board decision. It was not my decision.”

Ely has reorganized the business office this year following a number of retirements at the end of the last school year. There is a new treasurer and business manager, and some other clerical positions were left unfilled.

The district is putting together its plan to respond to the audit from the comptroller, Ely said. School officials have already implemented a number of recommendations, he said, but he did not want to discuss specifics.

Board President Maxine Brisport voted against contract extensions last June and said Tuesday she is still not in favor.

“I think we need to show a certain level of accountability to the district and to the public. We need to have a district that represents the values of the community,” she said.

San Angelo made $155,167 in 2008-09. If his contract is not renewed, it would be the third major administrative position that will have a new face. Associate Superintendent Gary Comley is leaving his post as head of the high school at the end of the academic year. Human Resources Director Michael Stricos is leaving in mid-March.

Brisport said the district is still in the process of collecting résumés for those positions. A national search is being conducted for the high school administrator post. School officials said previously that they hoped to fill Stricos’ position before he departed.

The other top administrators at the district are locked into contracts through at least mid-2011. Ely’s contract runs through the end of June 2012. William Roberts, assistant superintendent for operations; Matt Weinheimer, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction; Chief Technology Officer Lawrence Murphy; and school attorney Shari Greenleaf all have contracts that run through June 2011.