Farmington Superintendent Brad Meeks will receive $88,000 in severance pay in a resignation deal with the school board.
The deal, which came as a surprise to many, calls for Meeks to leave his job by Aug. 31, a year before his contract expires. Terms of the agreement were made public Tuesday after the board approved it and the superintendent signed it on Monday.
Meeks may leave earlier if he finds another job, but he and the board have agreed on a transition plan under which he could remain through the summer with limited duties even if the board appoints an interim superintendent.
The board has not yet discussed whether to name an interim schools chief, and if so, whether that person would be an internal appointment, board chairwoman Tera Lee said Tuesday.
An interim leader would take on the day-to-day duties of running the district, including staffing and budgeting decisions, Lee said. Meeks' responsibilities, as outlined in the deal, would include providing analysis of district policies, recommending legislative priorities, implementing a district facilities plan and helping with the transition to a new superintendent.
The $88,000 figure is 50 percent of Meeks' base salary for the school year. That's the amount of severance pay called for in his contract if he leaves because of retirement, non-renewal of his contract or a reason other than taking a new job.
The agreement also says that:
• Until he leaves, Meeks will continue being paid according to his current contract, on a prorated basis.
