Superintendent Candidate Paid By Current District To Stay Home

As the Port Chester School District looks to bring on its third superintendent this year, most agree on one sentiment -- the new top educator should be a hands-on manager who knows the district, as well as its teachers and students.

But while one of the three candidates on the shortlist this time around officially remains the superintendent of his district, he hasn't worked in the schools since November of 2010.

Charles Khoury, the Ardsley superintendent who came to that district in 2008 via New Jersey, reached an agreement with Ardsley's Board of Education last year: He began working from home, and day-to-day management of the district shifted to Lauren Allan, who is currently "acting superintendent" and is slated to officially take over the job in July.

It's not clear why Khoury has been working from home, and officials in the Ardsley School District haven't commented publicly. Written communications from the district to the Ardsley community continue to list Khoury as superintendent.

The agreement was made with Khoury after district leaders decided "it was best for him and best for the district," Allan said.

She said she did not know the details of why the agreement was made and referred further inquiries to the Board of Education. Messages were left Thursday with board members, including board President Steve Kastin.

Khoury earned $244,000 in salary and more than $10,000 in benefits in Ardsley this year. Former Superintendent Donald Carlisle earned $240,000 annually in Port Chester, and Thomas C. Elliott was paid $120,000 for his six-month stint as interim superintendent.

Port Chester Board of Education members have said publicly they'd prefer to pay a new superintendent a lower annual salary than they'd paid Carlisle and Elliott, but haven't talked specifics. News on the new superintendent's salary will likely come after the board has .

Along with Khoury, the remaining two include longtime district employee and , and Edward Kliszus, who has been superintendent of schools in Hackensack, NJ, since 2008.

CORRECTION: A message was left on Thursday with Ardsley's school board president. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the message was left Wednesday.

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