What Are Bensalem School Directors Saying About Superintendent's Contract

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA — Bensalem Schools Superintendent Samuel Lee received a new four-year contract following a close vote on his contract extension.

The superintendent's contract was extended for four years, starting on July 1 and running through July 29.

The vote was 5-4. Several school directors explained their positions to Patch following the vote last month.

“Dr. Lee cares about Bensalem and our kids, but that is not enough to get the job done," said School Director Stephanie Gonzalez Ferrandez said. "He has been our superintendent for the past 10 years, and I have been on the board for a little more than half that time. Dr. Lee never shows an urgency to address our current issues —the majority of all students not performing up to standards in math, a large number of our teens who cannot pass the required state graduation exams and instead have to find a workaround to actually be able to graduate, and a pressing lack of adequate space in some of our elementary schools. I will accept the vote of the majority to extend Dr. Lee’s contract, and I will work cooperatively with him. But I am disappointed that the board majority did not have the courage to seek the dynamic leader we need. "

Board President Joseph Pettyjohn, Vice President Kim Rivera, and school directors Cohen, Heather Nicholas, and Jiten Patel voted for the contract extension.

"Yes, I'm in favor of it," School Director Marc Cohen, a Republican running for re-election, told Patch. "He’s the most experienced superintendent in the state. He has a lot of years in education."

Lee has served as the district's superintendent since 2015. He was Bristol Township's schools superintendent for five years before his current position and has over 40 years of education experience.

School Director Rebecca Mirra said that she and the other "three moms" on the school board —all Democrats — voted against the contract renewal for several reasons.

"Transparency in board decisions is crucial," Mirra said. "The administration’s failure to attach the proposed contract for public review before the vote suggests secrecy. Our duty is to align decisions with community priorities — taxpayers deserve to know how their money is spent and how school leaders are expected to perform."

School Director Karen Winters told Patch that the school district is not performing well academically, which is a direct reflection of the superintendent.

"This is not an easy decision for me to make," Winters said. "I have spent a lot of time deliberating about it, and have quite literally lost sleep over this. It was also made purely for professional reasons, not for personal ones. Let me state at the beginning that I think Dr. Lee is caring and dedicated. However, that is not enough for me to vote for this contract. I am voting no for a few reasons."

For the past ten years, the school district has declined in test scores, Winters said.

Last year’s PSSA scores showed low growth and low achievement in math and science compared with other school districts in the state.

Winters said there are also several provisions of the contract that she disagreed with, including a $600 monthly stipend for cell phone and mileage reimbursement, which amounts to an extra $7,200 a year.

"We are charged with being stewards of the district’s money," Winters said. "I wholeheartedly believe that Dr. Lee should be reimbursed for mileage, but he should have to provide documentation. His cell phone should not be completely paid for by the district either. Partially is fine, but not in completion. Again, a bill would help us judge this. This stipend is in place of documentation, and it is my opinion that doing so is not being a wise steward of district funds."

Winters also finds it "ludicrous on both a practical level and a philosophical level" that there is a portion of the contract that states that board members will not communicate with district staff without copying Dr. Lee.

"On a practical level, Dr. Lee is about to become inundated with emails that he doesn’t need to read," Winters said. "On a philosophical level, this language bothers me even more. As a school board member, I should be able to communicate with staff to gain insights into the challenges and successes within our schools. We are charged with making informed decisions that accurately reflect the needs of teachers, administrators, and students. It is likely that making informed decisions is about to become much more difficult because no one will be honest with me due to fear of retribution. Furthermore, Dr. Lee is our employee, as is every staff member in this district. Why does my employee get to dictate who I talk to?"