BRIDGEPORT -- The city school board approved a separation agreement with Superintendent Carmela Levy-David Wednesday, marking an abrupt end to the school chief's controversial 16-month tenure leading one of Connecticut's largest districts.
The board voted 6 to 2 to approve the negotiated agreement, but stopped short of revealing the precise terms of the settlement, including if the board will pay Levy-David the balance of her contract.
"We've reached a mutual agreement," newly appointed board Chairperson Jennifer Perez said in a brief interview following the vote. "We wish her well and that is all I can say."
The decision to part ways with Levy-David, a former Texas-based educator who was appointed the top administrator in mid-2023, comes in the wake of a survey that found teachers overwhelmingly lack confidence in her ability to effectively manage the school system.
The vote also reflects long-simmering tensions between some members of the board and Levy-David that have intensified in recent weeks after school officials revealed the district is facing a massive $39 million budget deficit.
Perez, Secretary Albert Benejan Grajales, Tiheba Bain, Willie Medina and Robert Traber voted to support the agreement, while Vice Chair Joseph Sokolovic and Andre Woodson both voted against the settlement. Akisha Cassermere did not participate in the decision.
Sokolovic, who has voiced concerns about the district's financial health, said he was opposed to the separation agreement due to the undisclosed compensation package offered to Levy-David.
"At this time, I would not agree to any package being offered to any employee being severed," Sokolovic said. "I wish Dr. Levy-David success in her future endeavors."
District officials have said Levy-David went on leave on Nov. 4 due to "personal reasons," but have not disclosed the exact reason for her absence. Levy-David has not returned messages seeking comment.
But according to a Nov. 8 email sent by then-board Chair Christine Baptiste-Perez to her colleagues, Levy-David "requested medical leave" under federal law. Board officials have declined to share more.
Wednesday's vote means the board will need to once again mount a search for a new superintendent in the near future.
The last search began two years ago, took roughly ten months to complete and resulted in Levy-David's appointment as the school system's fifth leader in the last decade.
At the time, Levy-David narrowly beat out then-Interim Superintendent Alyshia Perrin, a longtime administrator who was the only other finalist under consideration, in a 5 to 4 vote.
Levy-David was later awarded a three-year contract by the board that included an annual $250,000 salary, according to a copy of the employment agreement.
Before her appointment, Levy-David worked as the assistant superintendent of elementary education at the Fort Bend Independent School District, a large school system outside Houston, Texas.
"My plan is to work side by side with the board, our educators and our community members in order to transform Bridgeport public schools into a district that everyone can be proud of and where parents and families aspire to bring their children," Levy-David said in an interview after her appointment.
Since arriving in Bridgeport, Levy-David has repeatedly pledged to stay on the job for at least 10 years, arguing the district needs consistent leadership to tackle the cash-strapped school system's budgetary issues and boost low test scores.
But the first-time school chief faced a bevy of controversies during her relatively short tenure.
Her first few months on the job were marked by multiple public clashes with board members, including a dispute over her decision to hold a districtwide convocation ceremony and hire central office staffers.
The most notable controversy came in March when she announced plans to begin shuttering a handful of struggling schools by the end of the calendar year in order to address poor student performance and to save money.
The superintendent was later forced to drop the aggressive timeline due to fierce pushback from parents and students, and after some board members pointed out that the district needed to study a building before permanently closing one.
She also implemented a series of changes, including new professional development and adjustments to class schedules, that frustrated teachers, prompting some to wear black in protest to the district's fall convocation.
The Bridgeport Education Association later organized a large demonstration in September outside City Hall that drew more than 200 people in order to highlight concerns about the district's leadership.
Among other issues, the teachers claimed they were forced to begin the fall semester in understaffed and overcrowded schools and without access to crucial classroom resources, including textbooks and desks.
In late October, the Connecticut Education Association released the results of a survey showing that 97 percent of the nearly 600 teachers who participated have no confidence in the superintendent's leadership.
"Leadership needs to lead, and when it fails to lead chaos ensues," CEA president Kate Dias said at the time. "Not only do teachers not trust the decision-making, they also don't trust the district's leadership to respect them and care for them."