D-60 responds to $93,000 severance pay for superintendent

When Superintendent Dr. Constance Jones abruptly resigned, it left many community members in Pueblo with more questions than answers.

Now, a little over two weeks later, many of them still feel the school board is not being transparent.

"These [school board members] folks are once again stonewalling, hiding behind legalese to keep the public from knowing what they have a right to know," said retired Chief District Judge Dennis Maes.

Jones is receiving more than $93,000 as a severance package. 11 News asked the district on Monday why she is receiving such a hefty payout to quit. They stated she's still "entitled" to it.

On Friday, the district released a statement in response to the severance, saying Jones said her resignation was conditional upon getting that payout.

But as 11 News has reported before, that severance clause was only if Jones got fired.

The district's statement went on to say when they "unanimously accepted her resignation" they authorized that payout of six months salary. Taxpayer money for her to leave her contract one year early.

Maes was among the many who protested outside of D-60's administration building last week.

He tells 11 News the statement released on Friday is an "insult."

"It was an insult to the intelligence of every citizen and every child and every taxpayer in this community. And I say that because the real question here is not what the severance package was ... but the reasons why Dr. Jones was forced to leave," he said.

Last week he read over two dozens questions he had for the school board and said they had until 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 5 to answer them.

The school board's attorney, Richard Bump, responded on Friday saying he advised the school board not to respond.

"All of the questions are phrased in pejorative terms and presume wrongdoing on the part of the board," he said in an email to Maes.

Maes says he and other community members will continue to ask questions, but says he is concerned for the students.

"They can be bullies, they can force someone to do something, they can micromanage, they can do whatever they want. This is the message that they're sending to the children in the community, and it's just a shame."

Pueblo Education Coalition plans to meet on Monday to announce what their next steps are.

11 News asked the school board to comment further than the statement they released but they declined.