Highlands pays $31K settlement to former teacher

The Highlands School District is paying a former teacher more than $30,000 as part of a settlement and release agreement.

The school district released the agreement with Andrew B. Kotyk on Thursday. The school board had approved it in March.

The school district refused to release the agreement when it was approved.

The Tribune-Review filed a Right to Know request for the agreement, which the district granted Thursday.

Kotyk was a full-time special education teacher at Highlands High School. He was hired in March 2005.

District Solicitor Ira Weiss confirmed Kotyk was the previously unidentified employee the school board put on unpaid leave in February.

District officials have not said why Kotyk was placed on leave. He resigned from his position effective March 18. His salary in the current school year was $64,310.

Kotyk could not be reached for comment Friday.

The payment to Kotyk under the settlement totals about $31,202. It consists of the pro-rated balance of his salary, about $26,475, and a health insurance benefit waiver of about $4,727.

Kotyk agreed to return any district property in his possession.

The district confirmed that he was employed from March 2005, until March 18 , when he resigned for “personal reasons.”

“No information regarding Mr. Kotyk’s employment with the district other than the above will be provided by the district to any potential employer or other interested party unless required by statue, regulation, order of court or pursuant to a lawful subpoena,” the agreement states.

The agreement states that no documents from Kotyk’s personnel file “or any documents whatsoever relating to Mr. Kotyk’s employment with the district shall be released to any prospective employer” without Kotyk’s request or as required by law.

Kotyk will not get a rating for the current school year.