Lancaster ISD superintendent to tender resignation

by Bill Conrad of Lancaster TODAY

Larry Lewis will voluntarily resign from the Lancaster Independent School District effective July 31, according to a settlement agreement passed by the school board Feb. 2.

The agreement, which was approved unanimously, calls for Lewis to remain with the district as a special assistant to the interim superintendent. Lewis will receive his full salary of $197,600 plus benefits for the duration of his time with the district.

Lewis was hired by the district in April 2003 and served as superintendent until October 2008, when he was placed on administrative leave. He was sent a notice of proposed termination in December after the conclusion of an investigation by law firm Anderson Jones. Lewis appealed the termination and the appeal process was scheduled to begin Feb. 9.

Board President Carolyn Morris said the board agreed to the settlement because it was in the best interest of the district.

The settlement also states that the board will withdraw the proposed letter of termination and prohibits Lewis or the board from suing one another. There is also no admission of wrongdoing by either side.

“I feel great about the settlement,” Lewis said. “We offered the settlement early on and the board said they were not interested in settling because they had enough to terminate. We were prepared to vigorously fight and we were ready to fight because we knew we were going to prevail. Then they changed counsel and their stance on the settlement.”

Lewis was sent a revised notice of proposed termination Jan. 13. In that letter, four areas were listed as reasons for terminating the contract.

In a press release issued after the settlement was reached, Lewis said that he had been honest with the investigators and the board of trustees and had not withheld information from the board. Both of those allegations had been mentioned in the revised notice.

Lewis also stated that the 18 staff positions at the high school that investigators described as unbudgeted were the result of mistakes made by the human resources department and the payroll department. He also denied any knowledge or participation in the employee loan program outlined in the investigative report. He said any promissory notes found by investigators were drafted by a staff member without his permission or approval.

The board hired Dana Marable as interim superintendent in December. Marable served as superintendent of the Longview Independent School District from 2003-06, when she retired. More recently she served as interim superintendent of the Temple Independent School District from September 2007-June 2008. Marable will make a base salary of $8,500 a month and will be with the district until at least March 31.

Lewis said his new position of special assistant to the interim superintendent will be an advisory role and he will only offer input if he is approached by Marable. He said he will not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the district.

Lewis said he plans to look for another superintendent position in the future.