Community Corner

Erardi Receives 'Exceeding' Grades, Three-Year Contract

The Southington Board of Education on Thursday evening approved a three-year contract extension and offered a 2.3-percent raise to School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi Jr.

For the past six years, School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi has helped improve test scores, implemented several new initiatives and played an integral role in helping garner landslide votes to approve the middle school renovations at referendum not once but twice.

Now the Southington Board of Education is rewarding the “community-oriented” leader with a 2.3-percent raise and a new three-year contract.

The board voted unanimously on Thursday evening to approve the measure, citing his strong performance in making connections with the community and dedication to serving the students as the reason for another “stellar review.”

“We were content with what he set forth for goals and are happy with everything he’s done for Southington schools,” Board of Education Chairman Brian Goralski said. “He set lofty goals and he was able to exceed all expectations.”

The raise represents the first that Erardi has taken in three years. He declined raises in 2011 and 2012 with the struggling economy as an effort to reduce costs to the Board of Education and help keep the annual budget in check.

Erardi, who joined the district in 2007, played an integral role for the second straight year in reaching out to the community as challenges forced the town to go back to referendum when an addition $4.725 was needed to pass the middle school referendum.

Furthermore, former Board of Education member and military veteran Leonard Marcheselle said he has gone above and beyond expectations to establish a strong relationship with the veteran community over the past two years.

“He made a promise to us and he has gone far beyond anything we could have asked for,” Marcheselle said at a military recognition luncheon earlier this month.

Goralski said the district would release further information regarding his review, including details of the new contract, on Monday.

The Board of Education on Thursday also approved a set of non-union wage increases for the upcoming year. Most raises stood around 2-percent with the largest being awarded to Assistant Superintendent Karen Smith, who will receive a 3-percent raise in the upcoming 2013-14 school year.

Goralski said the complete grid of non-union wage increases would also be released on Monday.

Make sure to like Southington Patch on Facebook and follow on Twitter for breaking news, daily updates and more!


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here