MANCHESTER — The Manchester Essex Regional School Committee has decided to give its outgoing superintendent of schools a bonus.
Marcia O'Neil, who was given a relatively poor review in her annual evaluation earlier this year by the School Committee and is leaving at the end of June, will be given a one-time $3,000 bonus for her leadership in "a smooth transition" into the new $49 million high and middle school building, which opened in September.
The bonus is being awarded in place of a merit-based raise, for which the School Committee can grant the superintendent up to a 4-percent hike on a yearly basis, said School Committee Chairwomen Susan Coviello.
"The committee voted that instead of giving her a merit-based raise, we would give her a one-time bonus specifically for getting the building up and running for September," said Coviello.
Each year, the committee evaluates the superintendent's performance on the basis of how he or she has met their annual goals approved by the committee. O'Neil, who is set to retire June 30 at the end of her first three-year contract, set out to accomplish six goals in the last school year.
Under her contract, O'Neil is assured of a 2 percent to 4 percent raise each year, not including the merit-based increase. O'Neil, the highest paid superintendent on Cape Ann this year, was making $169,983 before the one-time bonus and received the minimum 2 percent contractual hike, according to Coviello.
In September, the seven-member committee gave outgoing O'Neil an overall rating of 2.5 out of 4, indicating the "performance does not meet the requirement of the position."
Although she drew praise for the transition into the new school, the School Committee noted a lack of communication, direction, and vision from O'Neil throughout much of the evaluation.
The panel gave O'Neil her lowest scores when it came to meeting goals associated with "administrative management" and collective bargaining tasks; most notably the School Committee stated O'Neil "mismanaged" the off-again, on-again renewal of the contract of the Memorial Elementary School principal.
Principal John "Jack" Mara's departure from Memorial Elementary School, which initially drew outrage from a number of parents, was delayed one year to smooth a transition to new leadership. As part of the new arrangement, Mara will resign the same day as O'Neil in June.
Mara's status clearly sparked friction between O'Neil and the committee. In a letter to the Times, O'Neil wrote, "When I moved forward to non-renew the expiring contract for a principal, I did so with the support of a majority of the School Committee. As the process unfolded, a group from the school community resisted this change as did a number of committee members.
"I worked through a compromise with the administrator that postponed but ensured a transition at this school. This compromise was executed with deep consideration for the best interest of the school community."
During the review, O'Neil received a high score in leading the search for a new principal at Essex Elementary School. Jennifer Roberts is now in her first year in that post.
O'Neil came to the district with 25 years of experience in education, after serving as the assistant superintendent in Andover for five years and the director of curriculum and technology for North Reading public schools before that.
The $3,000 bonus, Coviello said, "is a way to recognize her work" in handling the opening of the new school.
Jonathan Phelps can be reached at 978-283-7000, or via e-mail at gt_reporter@gloucestertimes.com.
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