By MICHAEL WHITNEY
Published July 20, 2022

Monroe School Superintendent Blasko resigns $396,000 richer

MONROE — After being on paid administrative leave for more than six months, Monroe School Superintendent Justin Blasko has agreed to resign his position on July 31.
The school board unanimously voted to mutually sign a severance agreement this week after press time.
He’ll walk away with $396,374.55. The final figure is the whole value of his contract for the 2022-2023 school year: vacation, sick pay, retirement annuity plan, stipends and more, district spokeswoman Erin Zacharda said. His contract requires the district to pay at least 12 months of severance if ever terminated, whether for cause or without cause.
The district is actively hiring a new interim superintendent.
The payout will come from the district’s general fund. District budget writers set aside money as a contingency.
“This expenditure will not lead to staff reductions,” Zacharda said.
The separation agreement lists school board member Chuck Whitfield to handle all of Blasko’s employee reference matters for as long as Whitfield is affiliated with the district.
It prohibits Blasko from working for Monroe Schools again.
The school board had extended Blasko’s employment to 2025 last summer. A contract edit gave automatic monthly stipends of $850 meant to cover gas and personal expenses in lieu of filing expense reports. His contract would mean he
collected the monthly stipends while on paid leave.
The school board put him on administrative leave in December after a public citizens’ group revealed stories accusing the superintedent of workplace abuse. A third-party investigator looked into the accusations on behalf of the district and found many accusations credible. The Seabold Group’s report was made public near the end of May. Investigator Kris Cappel interviewed 50 witnesses.
The separation agreement does not require the district to pay Blasko’s attorney fees, or vice versa.

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