Some Parents Disappointed in Gagliardi
Dr. Karen Gagliardi
By Dan Murphy
When we heard the news that Lakeland Central School District Superintendent Dr. Karen Gagliardi was retiring from her position, my wife and daughter wondered why. Gagliardi was my daughter’s Principal at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and has served us, the taxpayers and residents, in the district well.
But then a few days later, the Yorktown News reported that the Lakeland Board of Education rehired Gagliardi to a new three-year term as superintendent on Aug. 14.
“We’re fortunate to have a superintendent of schools who cares deeply about the school community and the education of our children,” said Board of Education President Becky Burfeind during the board’s Aug. 14 business meeting.
Gagliardi was able to retire under a provision in the 2025-26 state budget that secured benefits for her family, Burfeind said. She added that Gagliardi has agreed to return to the position at a “significantly lower salary,” which will remain unchanged for the duration of the new three-year term.
“The total savings for the district accumulates to approximately $400,000 over the next three years,” Burfeind said. “This is simply a business decision that makes sense, both for the district from a fiduciary perspective and for Dr. Gagliardi.”
Residents in the school district are not happy with the decision. A group called Lakeland RISE has taken the lead. They write,
“The practice of “double-dipping” – allowing school administrators to retire, collect their pension, then be rehired by the same school district – is a misuse of taxpayer dollars. The recent situation with Dr. Gagliardi and the LCSD Board of Ed is a perfect example of why this loophole needs to be closed.”
Lakeland resident Tracy Sadler Hormazabal, who ran for a school board seat in 2023 (and was endorsed by Lakeland RISE), agreed, saying “By rehiring a retiree, the board has also shut the door on fresh leadership and new perspectives that could strengthen our schools. Instead, we’re told to accept business as usual — even if it means wasting public dollars and eroding community trust.”
Lakeland RISE co-founder Jessica Mayes told Yonkers Times, “This is a net cost to the taxpayers, unless it’s specifically designed to be cost-neutral. At the end of the day,
Gagliardi likely is going to get paid substantially more for doing the same job (and probably more than other superintendents in the area, unless they double-dip, too). Lakeland may not pay for it, but New York taxpayers will, one way or another. And for what? What has she done to merit it? Even if you approve of her performance (and many people in the community don’t), it’s hard to argue that she needs a substantial pay boost to continue doing it. That said, until we’ve seen actual details on her new contract, we cannot confirm her new compensation. The district should make the contract public immediately. We FOILed it but they are taking their time.”
We reached out to our friends at EmpireCenter.org who told us in an email,
“Under the law (Section 211 of the Retirement and Social Security Law), the retired person cannot be hired right back at the same or a similar position to qualify for a waiver of the $35,000 per year income limit. The per diem arrangement may not encroach on the income limit. Or the waiver described by the Comptroller may also waive the hire back provision. I don’t have enough information to know the answer.
“Regardless, critics argue that allowing retirees to obtain 211 waivers stifles opportunities for younger employees to advance. And my experience with the complaints I receive about 211 waivers grants is that they come from internal or lateral candidates who do not get the job given to the retiree with the 211 waiver.”
But New York school district employees, including highly paid administrators, are currently not subject to any income cap at all. In an effort to ease the teacher shortage, New York legislators amended the state’s pension law to exempt school district employees from the cap. Lakeland RISE has called on state legislators to amend the law to require highly compensated administrators to play by the usual rules, including the income cap. They say:
“Section 212 of the Retirement and Social Security Law, which caps a pensioner’s earnings at $35,000 per year, has been temporarily suspended through June 30, 2027. This exemption, originally intended to address staffing shortages, is now being exploited by highly paid administrators.
This policy is being abused by administrators who already significantly out-earn their staff (in some cases, by nearly five times), placing an unfair burden on taxpayers and leading to school budget cuts in crucial areas to sustain these inflated administrative costs.
Consider the following examples:
In 2013 Rye Brook Superintendent William Stark retired to begin collecting his $200,000 annual pension, while simultaneously drawing a $285,000 salary from the district.
In 2021 Harrison Superintendent Lou Wool, one of the highest-paid superintendents in New York State, collected more than $700,000 in one year between his salary, pension, and unused vacation and sick days.
More recently, Lakeland Central School District Superintendent Karen Gagliardi retired for just two days prior to being rehired in the same role.
These cases are not isolated; they reflect a systemic issue that undermines public trust and fiscal responsibility. While many school districts face significant financial challenges, allowing administrators to collect a salary and a pension concurrently is not a prudent stewardship of public funds. Taxpayers deserve the same accountability from public institutions that is standard in the private sector.
I respectfully request that you take the following actions in the best interest of your constituents, children, and families:
Reinstate the waiver process that requires public agencies to seek formal approval before hiring a retired individual.
Extend the mandatory waiting period before a retiree can be rehired in the same district from one day to one year.
Enact transparency measures requiring districts to publicly disclose hiring decisions and compensation details involving retired personnel.
Ensuring fair, ethical, an sustainable use of public funds is not a partisan issue, but a matter of good governance and public trust.”
Dr. Gagliardi’s new salary has not been released to the public. She has worked in the Lakeland School District since 2003 and has been Superintendent since 2021, when she was appointed following the school board’s controversial ouster of the previous superintendent.
