Former Park City School District Chief Operating Officer Mike Tanner was put on paid administrative leave almost a month before his position was eliminated and he received $161,000 in severance pay as part of a separation agreement.District officials announced on April 3 Tanner was being let go thro ugh the loss of his position in a reduction in force, with his final day of employment listed as March 31. Tanner will still be available through June 30 to assist with transition-related services, but he won’t be paid for any work, the district said.The separation agreement — obtained by The Park Record through a Government Records Access and Management Act request — highlights the departing terms of the school district’s No. 2. It was signed by Tanner on March 19 and Superintendent Lyndsay Huntsman the following day.The agreement reiterates that Tanner’s position, which was created in 2019 by former Superintendent Jill Gildea, was eliminated to help reduce administrative overhead costs in response to declining enrollment, and the COO duties were reassigned to other district administrators. His salary was about $135,000 for the 2019-20 school year. It was estimated to be around $250,000 as of 2024, not including benefits, according to Transparent Utah. School district officials did not answer questions by publication about what Tanner’s actual salary and benefits were at the time of his departure.Starting Feb. 25 until his separation date, Tanner was on paid administrative leave. District officials did not answer questions about why Tanner was put on leave by deadline.However, an email sent by a whistleblower — a military veteran employee who disputed Tanner’s service in the Air Force Reserves and raised accusations that he was storing his private vehicle in the school district bus garage — to district officials, school board members and the local media claimed a confrontation took place during a transportation department meeting on Feb. 24. The email said around 15 to 20 employees were in attendance when supervisors, including Tanner, began retaliating against witnesses involved in the allegations. The whistleblower said he felt compromised during the meeting and confronted Tanner, asking him to resign and causing the disagreement to escalate. Huntsman said in an email on Feb. 25 the district’s human resources department would be “conducting a thorough investigation of the incident in accordance with district policy.”  Tanner’s separation agreement states he received all his salary and benefits, including a special assignment contract, while on administrative leave. The secondary contract was crafted by Gildea and gave him a yearly stipend of more than $77,000. The extra duty stipend was awarded for responsibilities related to district level safety and security issues, and was expected to end June 30. The special assignment contract, as well as Tanner’s salary and the amount of time he spent working remotely, drew criticism last fall because it appears to describe many duties already assigned in the COO job description.Park City School District Chief Operations Officer Michael Tanner, center, was hired in 2019 in a position created by former Superintendent Jill Gildea and let go March 31 when the position was eliminated in a reduction in force. Credit: Brock Marchant/Park RecordDistrict officials and school board members have said the special assignment contract didn’t breach existing policy, but Huntsman said in an email that she’s in the process of reviewing all contracts and directed staff to route approval for new contracts through the superintendent’s office.She added the district is committed to establishing a military leave policy consistent with federal requirements; revisiting the extra duty assignments policy; reviewing existing special assignment contracts; reiterating district processes for concerns and grievances; and evaluating communication channels. Huntsman also asserted she’s committed to strengthening trust among staff and the greater Park City community. Tanner will also receive a one-time lump sum severance payment of $160,965.50 by April 30. The separation agreement said the money was allocated as follows:$78,500 for wages. $78,500 for “alleged emotional distress, liquidated and/or other non-wage damages.” $3,965.50 for attorney’s fees.District officials will also pay Tanner $14,886 to use for insurance coverage or as a contribution to his health savings account.The separation agreement also includes a clause that prohibits Tanner from seeking future employment in the Park City School District. The district also agreed to issue a public statement announcing Tanner’s separation from employment was due to a reduction in force.A March 3 update on district leadership and interim reassignments stated Randy Upton, the district’s business administrator, will oversee construction projects in partnership with Todd Hansen, director of building and grounds, and Colby Pearce, assistant director of facilities. Director of Family and Community Engagement Eric Esquivel will oversee all safety and security efforts with local law enforcement and other community partners.It is unclear if the school district has eliminated any other administrative positions as part of  “reduction-in-force” efforts. District officials have also declined to comment about an internal or external investigation into the accusations raised against Tanner. The Park Record requested any final findings, reports or summaries of an investigation through a GRAMA request, but was denied.Separation AgreementDownloadThe post Park City School District COO’s exit includes paid leave, $161K severance payout appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less