Carmel Unified School District Superintendent agrees to resign with pay until 2021

CARMEL, Calif. (KION) UPDATED 5/20/20: The Carmel Unified School District Board has approved the mutual consent agreement that will provide Superintendent Barbara Dill-Varga with nearly a year of pay and benefits after her resignation.

PREVIOUS STORY 5/19/20: The Carmel Unified School District Board is considering an agreement that would provide Carmel Unified School District Superintendent Barbara Dill-Varga with nearly a year of pay and benefits after her resignation.

Many Carmel residents and parents KION spoke with want to know why the superintendent is resigning and why she'll receive a paycheck for that length of time. 

We put those questions to the district but the Board of Education said they can't comment on personnel matters.

Dill-Varga has served as superintendent since July 2017.

“It would be nice to know why she resigned and what’s behind all that and and I just hope they come out with that soon,” Carmel parent David Gizzi said.

The CUSD will consider approval of the resignation and mutual consent agreement at a meeting Wednesday night. The agreement indicates that the district and employee quote: ”believe that it is in their best mutual interest to severe their employment relationship."

If approved, the resignation will be effective on June 30 and she will use sick time until then as board documents indicate she is “unable to work.”

According to Transparent California, Dill-Varga receives $312,084.60 in total pay and benefits.

If the agreement is approved, Dill-Varga will receive regular monthly wages and benefits until May 2021. This comes as a shock to some.

One viewer commented on KION's facebook page saying  “budget cuts are looming, but this person will get paid for no work.” Another person wrote, “how many people you know get 100 percent pay and benefits for a year with sick leave?”

A local KION spoke wasn’t bothered by it and said severance is typical for some positions. But many want the district to be more transparent.

“We pay their salaries and, you know, the Carmel school district is a wonderful school district, but I would expect that they would be more transparent–tell us more,” Gizzi.

In an email, CUSD Board of Education President Karl Pallastrini said “the Board is not permitted to comment on Personnel matters as privacy rights for all District employees are protected by the California Education Code."

Under the mutual resignation agreement, Dill-Varga will release the district from potential legal action. It also included a reference letter for prospective employers, in which Pallastrini highlighted Dill-Varga’s work with the district and thanked her for her contributions.

The board appointed Chief Human Resources Director, Trisha Dellis as Acting Superintendent. They will consider approval of the agreement at Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting.

The Mutual Consent Agreement can be viewed here as a PDF.

PREVIOUS STORY 5/17/20:

Carmel Unified School District Superintendent Barbara Dill-Varga has agreed to resign.

Documents from the CUSD Board of Education indicate that the district and employee "believe that it is in their best mutual interest to sever their employment relationship."

The Mutual Consent Agreement provided online at the school district website says Dill-Varga was slated to continue her employment until June 30, 2022.

The document says both the district and the superintendent have reached "an amicable, full and final settlement of all issues and claims" regarding Dill-Varga's employment.

Her resignation becomes effective June 30 this year, but the document says Dill-Varga will be using her sick leave until that date.

Dill-Varga will be paid her regular monthly wages until May 20, 2021, with all standard deductions from her gross salary.