Odyssey delays vote to hire former board director with six-figure salary

Odyssey Charter School postponed voting on whether to hire its former school board director as a third administrator with a salary over $150,000 Tuesday night, and parents and teachers are relieved.  

“We stopped them for this month,"Jennifer Ballas said. "It’s at least time for them to slow down."

Ballas, a former board member and mother at the charter school for 12 years, rallied parents at a crowded school board meeting to fight the board, fearing public money is being channeled to top administrators over school necessities.

Odyssey became mired in controversy over the issue during the summer. After voting not to renew its contract with longtime headmaster Nick Manolakos, the school board hired two new administrators to take his place with no notice to parents and staff. 

The administrators' combined salaries total $300,000, with administrative responsibilities split between head of school Denise Parks and campus operations officer Riccardo Stoeckicht. Manolakos only made about $165,450. 

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In addition, shortly after former board president Dimitrios Dandolos reached his term limit, rumors began that he was going to be hired for a third six-figure leadership position.

Board members met in executive session and in sparsely-attended "succession committee" meetings, and in July talked publicly at length about how Dandolos can help attract new donors to the school. 

But parents and staff, who have donated thousands of dollars to the school, questioned the need for even two well-paid administrators, much less a third.

Parent Ryan Connell asked the board Tuesday night to not vote without input from parents and teachers. Later, he said, the decision had lacked transparency. 

Parent Kelly Roberts said she heard rumors of Dandolos being hired on Facebook, and the board never responded to her multiple emails before Tuesday's meeting. 

Parents worried that hiring Dandolos could cut into the academic budget. Odyssey's finances already have been stretched by several construction projects.

“This is an absolute waste of taxpayers' money. It’s not your money to play with,” Ballas said to the board. “We need money invested in the school. We have leaky roofs. There’s that 12th grade school we are building. We need elevators put in."

Tensions rose between opposing sides at the meeting.

The teachers and parents opposed to the hiring didn't get to speak until more than two and a half hours into the meeting. New board president Josiah Wolcott told attendees public comment would be limited to 15 minutes, with a total of three minutes allotted for each person.

The time limit irritated parents, teachers and staff, some of whom booed. 

“This public does not have a right to speak at a public board meeting,” Wolcott said. "This is not to shut people up. This is to have an efficient meeting."

Peter Svhan, a liaison between the school board and investors, used his three minutes to support Dandolos. Svhan said Dandolos has been instrumental in raising money for the school. Without Dandolos, most of the five- and six-figured donors would not have contributed to the extensive construction projects the school has planned, Svhan said. 

"He will raise money more than he will cost you," Svhan said.

Teachers and parents have invested thousands in the school to make upgrades and pay for new programming. 

Ballas said after the meeting that the projected new extracurricular programs, such as color guard and a parade band, are expensive, and she wants the budget to focus on the kids. 

"How can OCS spend this much on three heads of school, when OCS continues to ask parents for money for capital expenditures?" Ballas asked in an email last week. 

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Teachers like Katie Manly, who is a 6th grade language arts teacher at the school and mother of three students, were angry that more than half of $1 million dollars was set aside for top administrators, while teachers have low salaries and small stipends for supplies. 

The board has admitted it was ill-prepared for Dandolos's resignation. He was the point person on construction projects and spearheaded fundraising, among other things, they said. If Dandolos were hired, he would be paid to do many of the things he did for free as board chair.

One parent asked for a job description from Dandolos's position. When she wasn't answered, others brought it up. About 20 minutes after the first question, the board listed needs such as investor relations, communications, partnerships with colleges and of course, fundraising. Board member Abigail LeGrow questioned whether Odyssey already had the resources in-house. 

“Before we think about spending more money, let's think about what resources we have that are under-utilized, like the board, our staff, the parents," LeGrow said. 

Board members agreed to hold another succession committee meeting, but haven't set a date. 

Ballas said she would leave Odyssey after 12 years of having kids there if Dandolos was hired. A parent of four, she said she is thinking of taking her youngest child out of the school.  

"This is half a million dollars spent at the administrative level with a third head. No charter school has that," she said. "Everything they do should be benefitting the school, the kids. I don't see that happening with this decision."

Contact Josephine Peterson at (302) 324-2856, jhpeterson@delawareonline.com, or Twitter at @jopeterson93. Contact Jessica Bies at (302) 324-2881 or jbies@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @jessicajbies.

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