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Exiting RPS superintendent could take home $200K

Posted at 8:00 PM, Apr 18, 2013
and last updated 2013-04-18 20:00:38-04

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) --Richmond school board chair Jeff Bourne said Tuesday that the board and Dr. Yvonne Brandon both agreed it was time for her to step down as superintendent.

Brandon will leave June 30, two years before her contract ends in 2015.

We wanted to know what the mutual resignation will cost the taxpayer when it comes to Dr. Brandon's severance package.

"It's not going to mean anything that's going to hurt the city taxpayers. It's not anything that's going to come out of this budget," said Tichi Pinkney-Eppes, 9th district School Board member.

Pinkney-Eppes said the board is still working through the final details of Dr. Brandon's severance package. "The Superintendent is to be honored for her 30 plus years of service with this organization.  And we're not trying to take anything away from that," she said.

Pinkney-Eppes told CBS 6 that the board is looking at giving Brandon at least one year of her contract of $170,000, plus her remaining vacation, sick leave and a portion of her deferred compensation benefits.

CBS 6 has learned that total amount could add up to more than $200,000.

"If you look at it in that sense, it could be potentially a cost savings of the taxpayer because we are looking at only a year of her salary where her contract goes into 2015," said Pinkney-Eppes.

And even though Brandon's severance is not a done deal, we asked Pinkney-Eppes could that money be better spent in the classroom.

"Well, to that I'd have to say, I'd like for the residents and the citizens of the city to consider that we will not be deferring any money out of the classrooms," said Pinkney-Eppes.

Richmond School Board members will meet on Saturday, when they could finalize Dr. Brandon's severance package and discuss her replacement.

CBS 6 has been told by officials that parents, business leaders, and education experts could weigh-in on that selection process in the near future.

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