Last month, Utah’s highest-paid superintendent announced plans to retire from the Park City School District amid questions about possible contract violations. Now, Jill Gildea has accepted a job in Colorado.
She is scheduled to begin teaching at Colorado Early College on Friday, officials with the public charter school network confirmed Wednesday.
The terms of her departure from the Park City School District remain unclear, as her retirement will officially take effect on January 31, 2025, according to a school district news release.
“We do not comment on personnel matters,” board chairman Andrew Caplan said in response to a question from the Salt Lake Tribune about whether Mr. Gildea would receive severance or other benefits.
However, KCPW reported that Gildea will use his remaining paid leave until his official retirement date.
Colorado Early Colleges did not immediately provide an employment contract in response to Gildea’s request. The Tribune filed a public records request seeking a copy.
Gildea’s contract dispute was sparked after Colorado Early Colleges announced in late August that its board had selected Gildea as its sole candidate for chief executive officer position.
The vote took place on Aug. 16, four days before the Park City Board of Education renewed Gildea’s contract in a 3-2 vote. Board members Meredith Reed and Nicholas Hill opposed the renewal.
According to his contract with Park City, Gildea is required to “promptly notify the board” if he decides to apply for another position. Students would also be required to provide “30 days’ written notice” if they plan to leave the district, or face an “early termination penalty” of $2,000.
District officials did not immediately respond to questions about whether Gildea had notified board members of her job search.
Gildea announced his retirement on September 16, calling it “the privilege of leading this great district” and expressing gratitude for the “opportunity to innovate, grow and achieve important milestones together.” did. Her statement did not mention the Colorado job offer.
Hours before Gildea’s announcement at 4 p.m. that day, Park City School Board leaders held a closed-door meeting at noon to discuss “an individual’s character, professional abilities, or physical or mental health.” We talked about it. According to the agenda of the meeting,
Gildea earned $415,201.42 in fiscal year 2023, including benefits, according to Transparent Utah. Her perks also include a district-provided car and an $870,000 home the district purchased in 2018, the year she started there.
Gildea plans to move out of the district-owned home on her retirement date, KPCW reported.
Before joining Park City, Ms. Gildea served as superintendent of Greenwich Public Schools in Greenwich, Conn., for less than a year, but in March 2018, Gildea Time reported that her resignation was “sudden.” said. Prior to that, he served as superintendent of the Fremont School District in Mundelein, Illinois, for six years.
Park City Schools board leadership announced last month that Treasure Mountain Middle School Principal Caleb Fine will now serve as interim superintendent.
