PORT ANGELES — The School Board will probably not ask Gary Cohn for any penalty or buyout of his unexpired contract if the superintendent takes a new job in Everett.
Steve Baxter, president of the Port Angeles School District Board of Directors, said Monday that the board is awaiting an official resignation from Cohn, who last week was offered the Everett School District superintendent’s position but has yet to negotiate a contract.
His contract in Port Angeles expires next year.
Cohn told the Peninsula Daily News that he won’t ask the Port Angeles School Board to release him from that contract until he reaches a deal with the Everett board.
“Obviously until a contract is negotiated with Everett, I won’t resign here,” he said.
Baxter said that until there is a request to consider, the School Board will not make a move.
“We have a lot of questions and won’t get all of our questions answered right away,” Baxter said.
No problems expected
But the School Board president said he didn’t foresee any problems with releasing Cohn from the contract.
“I do not think anything will get in the way of that,” Baxter said.
He added that he didn’t anticipate the board requesting a penalty or a buyout.
“I don’t view this as a personal affront to me or to the community,” Baxter said of Cohn’s departure.
“If he does indeed negotiate a contract with Everett, I don’t see anything getting in the way of that.”
All four other board members on Monday deferred comment to Baxter.
The contract does not outline any specific penalties, buyouts or logistics for ending it early.
“It is a clean break at that point if the board approves,” Cohn said.
PA contract
Cohn’s salary in Port Angeles is $138,658.50 and his contract expires at the end of 2010.
The 18,000-student Everett School District has advertised a range of $190,000 to $210,000.
“Every superintendent contract is different,” Cohn said.
“Although I anticipate it will be completed soon, I don’t know a specific timeline.”
He said he didn’t know when the Everett board was planning to vote on the contract, but that it would be “soon.”
“Once they vote on it and approve it, then I’ll ask to be released — and once that happens, then both Everett and I can sign the contract,” Cohn said.
Everett board meets
The next Everett School Board meeting is today at 4:30 p.m., but the contract was not on the agenda.
The next meeting after that is March 24, also at 4:30 p.m. An agenda for that meeting will not be available until March 23.
Cohn, 53, was one of 20 candidates considered by Everett schools.
If he is released and a contract is signed he would start on July 1, according to the Everett School District Web site.
The Port Angeles School Board met in closed-door executive session Monday night to discuss matters of personnel, potential litigation and to review the performance of a public employee.
Cohn said his midyear review was due, but that the potential for release from his contract was not up for discussion during the executive session.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
