IDAHO FALLS — The Bonneville School District says it will pay some $59,000 less to Chuck Shackett than originally anticipated — a move that comes nearly six months after trustees approved a secretive payout to the outgoing superintendent.
Bonneville trustees last week approved an addendum to Shackett’s original separation agreement with the district.
Approved changes include:
- Moving up Shackett’s resignation date by six months, from Aug. 31 to Feb. 28.
- Moving up Shackett’s last day as a “volunteer consultant” to the district by seven months, from Dec. 31 to May 31.
These changes reduced a previously approved “purchase of service” payment to Shackett’s public employee retirement account from $205,000 to $191,657.77, according to the addendum.
Along with a reduced payment of $77,947.76 to Shackett for employee and consulting fees, the new agreement says the changes will save the district about $59,000.
In August, Bonneville trustees agreed to give Shackett a six-figure retirement payout but never discussed the agreement in an open public meeting.
Idaho Education News insisted on a copy of the agreement because it contained a taxpayer obligation. Shackett eventually shared the agreement, saying he wanted to be transparent and avoid jeopardizing the district’s Aug. 28 request to renew its $5.8 million-a-year supplemental levy.
Shackett told the Post Register last week that changes outlined in the addendum were mutually agreed upon.
“It was the right thing to do,” he said.
Bonneville trustee Chad Dance said it was important for incoming Superintendent Scott Woolstehnhulme to “to take over right away” during some adjustments in the district.
