Lukich out at District 15

Palatine Township Elementary District 15 Superintendent Daniel Lukich tendered his resignation at a special board meeting on Wednesday. Lukich is just two years into a three-year contract.

The board by a 7-0 vote approved a separation agreement, the details of which haven't yet been released. While Lukich's resignation isn't effective until June 30, 2011, according to a District 15 statement, his departure from his office was immediate.

District officials aren't disclosing why Lukich left, citing a personnel issue. But both Assistant Superintendent Jim Garwood and board attorney Mike Loizzi said there was no misconduct.

"If there was something serious going on, then there wouldn't be a separation agreement," Loizzi said.

It appears that Lukich will get paid at least the same salary and compensation he'd get if he were still actively working for the district.

Loizzi pointed to a unilateral termination provision clause in Lukich's employment contract. It states that the board has the right to terminate the superintendent without cause or other grounds. Under the clause, Lukich must be compensated for two times his annual gross compensation or for the amount owed to him under the remaining term of his contract, whichever is less.

Lukich, who came to District 15 in July 2008 from the Cleveland area, received a salary of $202,000 when he first started, with total compensation including benefits closer to $250,000.

The board has scheduled a special meeting for July 7 to take place next week where candidates will interview for an interim superintendent position.

"I think the board will be looking for retired superintendents to move the district forward this year," Garwood said.

According to a brief statement released by the district, Lukich expressed an interest in fulfilling the third year of the agreement without committing beyond, and the board "chose another path to mutually and amicably change the relationship in the third year through a current contract provision."

It went on to say that the two parties "are each satisfied with the separation agreement and are able to respectively move forward in their chosen directions in the best interest of the district and the superintendent's career."