"A Remarkable Leader" Gets a Contract Extension

The Board of Education vote Tuesday was unanimous to renew Supt. of Schools Fran Rabinowitz’s contract for a three-year term, the longest amount of time permitted by state law.

The contract does not include an increase to her salary or benefits. However, it will provide a $200 per month travel stipend to cover the cost of attending community events and conferences. The new travel stipend is in addition to a previously included miscellaneous budget for job-related expenses of up to $500 per year. 

Rabinowitz herself declined to accept a raise because she felt it was not appropriate with the current economic conditions, board members said. 

The contract, which is retroactive, is effective from July 1, 2010 until June 30, 2013. 

The superintendent’s salary for the 2010-11 year will remain unchanged at $165,000.

“The Superintendent has not received any salary increase in more than two years;” said board Chairman Michael C. D’Agostino. “Even though the Board felt that Supt. Rabinowitz deserved a salary increase this year, the superintendent explicitly requested that she receive no increase.

“Fran is a remarkable leader in many ways,” D’Agostino said. “And this is yet another example of that and her commitment to Hamden.”

All other benefits will remain the same, except the Board added $200 monthly travel stipend.

“We expect the Superintendent to attend not only meetings and community events in Hamden, but also attend meetings at the State Capitol to lobby for funding, at the State Department of Education and regional conferences,” D’Agostino said. “Accordingly, we felt the stipend was necessary, fair and reasonable.”

During the meeting the board also approved a $500,000 budget for the planning phase of a skylight replacement project at Ridge Hill School.