Two Wyandanch middle school administrators reassigned in September still on payroll
Milton L. Olive Middle School Principal Shannon Burton and Assistant Principal Kimberly Clinton have received a total of more than $180,000 in gross salary and additional pay since they were “temporarily reassigned” last September, according to records. Credit: Barry Sloan
The two top administrators in a Wyandanch middle school who were reassigned home last fall have remained on the district's payroll while investigations into alleged grading issues there continue, according to school officials and records.
Milton L. Olive Middle School Principal Shannon Burton and Assistant Principal Kimberly Clinton have received a total of more than $180,000 in gross salary and additional pay since they were “temporarily reassigned” last September, records showed.
Burton has been paid $99,116 from the check dates Sept. 22 through March 8, according to pay stubs Newsday requested through a Freedom of Information Law request. The amount for Clinton is $81,673 through the same pay periods. The dollar amounts included their salary and stipends.
Burton declined to comment when reached by phone Monday. Clinton could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
A week after their reassignment in September, the Wyandanch school board appointed Bond, Schoeneck & King as special counsel to investigate allegations regarding grading at the middle school.
District interim Superintendent Arlise Carson did not respond to a request for comment and did not respond to written questions Monday but released a letter Tuesday to inform the school community of the status of two investigations into the alleged grading issues.
In the statement, Carson said the outside investigation as well as an internal one are in their final stages.
"Once we have been informed of the outcome of these investigations and a plan has been finalized to properly address the findings and recommendations of legal counsel, we will provide further correspondence with our staff, families and community," she wrote.
The middle school, which enrolls about 600 students in grades six through eight, was elevated last July to good academic standing, nine years after being identified by state authorities as academically "struggling," Newsday previously reported. A quarter of the middle school’s students are English language learners and 94% are economically disadvantaged, according to state data.
Burton told Newsday last March that higher test scores among bilingual students were a factor in the state's decision to boost the school's rating.
Burton, a former teacher and administrator in Yonkers and New York City, was appointed principal in July 2022 with an annual salary of $159,570 under a four-year probationary period into 2026. Clinton was hired in August 2022 at an annual salary of $148,771, also under a four-year probationary period.
Burton’s annual salary later increased to $181,423, according to district records. Clinton’s was raised to $160,961.
The two administrators were reassigned home, school board president Jarod Morris said.
The school's website lists Stanley Pelech as principal, and Jully Williams as assistant principal.
Last July, Pelech was appointed director of curriculum and instruction, a districtwide position, at an annual salary of $174,831 through July 2027, and Williams was appointed assistant principal with a salary of $158,961 with a four-year probational period through July 2027, according to board meeting documents.
Dandan Zou covers education for Newsday. Previously, she worked for a community newspaper in Maryland and a personal finance magazine in Washington, D.C.
