School board members tried to calm the storm surrounding Superintendent Charles Larke's $94,000 vacation payout Thursday, rewriting policies and forcing the district's top educator to take time off.
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Board of Education member Barbara Padgett listens during a meeting of the Richmond County Board of Education personnel committee meeting as members discuss vacation issues for year round employees at the Board of Education Boardroom .
Andrew Davis Tucker/Staff
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The superintendent must get permission from the board president to work during Christmas and spring break, one of several policies created during a meeting of the personnel committee designed to end the controversy.
During the meeting, the committee revealed that Dr. Larke is still owed $10,197 for about two weeks' vacation never taken in the late 1980s. They agreed to pay Dr. Larke at his current daily rate of pay and offer him the vacation time or pay him at retirement.
Dr. Larke said he reserved 12.5 days in case he became ill and plans to eventually use the days instead of getting paid for them.
"I don't plan to take a check tomorrow," he said.
Four other employees are also owed about $8,000 for unused vacation days that were accumulated years ago and grandfathered under old policies. The committee froze their pay, meaning that if they claim the money in the future it will be at current, rather than future, rates.
Board member Barbara Padgett, who has been a vocal critic of Dr. Larke's large payout, said little Thursday. Last month, she accused central office staff of creating a document to defend the payout, but she kept quiet for most of the committee meeting.
Mrs. Padgett agreed with other board members to uphold the current policy, which allows employees just 20 days of vacation carryover each year. She left the meeting early to take her own vacation.
Also Thursday, the panel asked board attorney Pete Fletcher to research how a superintendent's daily rate of pay should be calculated. Dr. Larke's payout rose by $20,000 because his daily rate was calculated using fringe benefits.
The biggest policy shift, though, will affect hundreds of custodians in the maintenance, print shop and transportation departments. Instead of earning 11Ž4 days each month of vacation time, the committee voted to award them two days a month, as are given to other 12-month employees.
"We're giving some people two days and some 11Ž4. But everyone gets the same for sick leave," board member Marion Barnes said. "Everybody should be treated fairly and alike."
But Mr. Barnes made it clear that Dr. Larke's contract makes him different than other employees regarding vacation. He can be paid annually for any unused vacation while other administrators will lose their time if they have more than 20 days.
Still, board members encouraged the superintendent to use his vacation.
Mr. Barnes joked about the board's closed-session meeting in 2002, at which members agreed to allow Dr. Larke to take his vacation pay before retirement. He said Thursday's decisions were being made in public.
"I want you to know we're voting on this. We're not going to go in the bathroom," he said.
After Thursday's meeting, Dr. Larke defended himself as a crowd of reporters surrounded him with questions.
"I feel relieved this morning because I think they finally understand one thing: I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't break any laws," he said.
The superintendent said a document showing a poll of board members was not manufactured and was requested by controller Gene Spires before he issued a check.
"That document is 2 years old. It was not created last week to cover anybody's tracks," he said.
Dr. Larke said he plans to take next week off and now realizes the benefits of a vacation.
"I can tell you one thing - if you can get three or four vacation days every six weeks, you come back refreshed and you can get more done," he said. "So actually I plan to take vacation. When I didn't take vacation, it wasn't that I didn't want to take vacation."
All recommendations made Thursday are expected to be approved by the full board April 15.
Board member Kenneth Echols, who is not on the personnel committee and did not attend Thursday's meeting, said the entire board should have discussed the vacation issues together.
He said Dr. Larke and five board members met Sunday while at a conference in Orlando, Fla., and planned the policy changes. Mr. Echols said he was invited to the meeting in Orlando but declined.
"It should have been discussed by the full board," he said.
Mr. Echols said he never thought Dr. Larke did anything wrong.
"Hopefully, these policies will get us in the right direction," Mr. Echols said.
Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (706) 828-3851
or greg.rickabaugh@augustachronicle.com.
Previous Stories
• Missed days no longer allowed
• Board adjusts work schedule
• Auditors found no improprieties with Larke's vacation payout
• Papers' validity argued
• Record proves vote on payout
• Larke made extra income
• Larke gets good job evaluation
• Board members mum on Larke's evaluation
• Official has staff use time
• Board OK'd Larke payout
• Board president regrets closed payout vote
WAITING ON CHECKS
Five school administrators are still owed for unused vacation days that
were grandfathered from June 30, 1988. They include:
NAME-- POSITION --DAYS ---- PAY
Charles Larke-- Superintendent --12.5 ----$10,197
Sally Bryson-- Controller’s secretary --19 ---- $2,526
Vickie Johnson-- Superintendent secretary--- 18---- $2,490
Doris Parks-- Board secretary --20---- $2,790
Lila Watkins-- Purchasing clerk --3---- $340
