ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon announced Wednesday he will retire Sept. 30 and ask the school board to re-appoint him to the same job 30 days later.

Lannon said the move is designed to both give him one month to deal with “personal family matters” and to collect between $100,000 and $125,000 in sick leave and vacation time accrued since he began working at the district.

School Board Chairwoman Judi Miller said the sum was already on the district’s books as being owed to Lannon and would not add or subtract anything from school coffers. That amount would be paid out whenever Lannon retires unless he used the sick and/or vacation time before he retires.

Lannon said if his health is good and the board chooses to re-hire him and keep him as superintendent he could see himself working another five to seven years.

Lannon will not enter the Deferred Retirement Option Program that allows a state employee to retire, return to work one month later and collect both salary and pension. Lannon, 63, said he missed that window of opportunity for that program when he moved from Monroe County to St. Lucie County in 2003.

Deputy Superintendent Sandra Wolfe will be interim superintendent during Lannon’s absence, if school board members approve Lannon’s request at their Sept. 22 meeting.

Lannon said Wolfe would not receive any extra pay for her work as interim superintendent.

“It is my desire that this be a short-lived retirement,” Lannon wrote Miller in a letter dated Monday. “I petition you to consider re-appointing me as the district school superintendent effective Nov. 1, 2009.”

Lannon, whose annual salary was last reported at about $191,000, said he individually informed school board members beginning Monday. He also spoke with representatives of the St. Lucie County Classroom Teachers Association/Classified Unit, the union for county teachers and clerical workers, before contacting media Wednesday.

Lannon cannot be in communication with school district officials during his month-long retirement.

October was chosen because it is the month that usually has the least work, he said.

Vicki Rodriguez, union vice president, said she knows of teachers who have retired from the school system and were later rehired, much as Lannon is proposing.

Wolfe returned to work as district deputy superintendent after retiring for several months earlier this year under the state’s deferred retirement program, and Lannon said about three dozen other school district workers have similarly retired and been rehired.

Miller declined to say whether she would support Lannon’s request to be rehired, but the board gave Lannon a positive performance review several months ago.

“I believe (St. Lucie County schools) are on the right track at this time,” Miller said.

School board member Carol Hilson said Lannon’s request was a “personal choice” and said the matter would be discussed at the next board meeting.

“I’m very pleased that he’s not retiring and leaving us,” Hilson said.

Board member Kathryn Hensley said what Lannon proposes is “totally within the law.” She referred to Indian River State College President Edwin Massey’s brief retirement and rehiring in summer 2008, so did Lannon’s letter to Miller.

Lannon said the school board would not be obligated to advertise for other superintendent candidates when he retires for the 30 days, the minimum time allowed by state law.

“If they want to go on a search, they can,” he said. “If they say they feel comfortable with the candidate they have now, they can make that decision.”

By James Kirley, TCPalm.com

Tags: money, policy, retirement, school board, St. Lucie County, superindentent

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