Dos Palos school superintendent resigns with $280,000 payout

The Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified School District will pay nearly $280,000 to Superintendent Brian Walker as part of a settlement approved Monday to end his tenure.

Meeting in a special closed-door session, the district’s governing board accepted a settlement that allows Walker to resign as of Nov. 13. Board members agreed unanimously to approve the deal.

Walker, who ends his contract early, will receive more than $245,000 to be paid in monthly installments over the next 18 months. He also will receive more than $900 per month in lieu of district health insurance and a lump-sum payment of more than $18,000 for unused vacation time.

The district released no information about the reason for Walker’s departure.

Walker was not present at the meeting and did not return email messages from the Sun-Star requesting comment. A phone number listed in his voter registration record was disconnected.

Walker’s resignation comes one month after his performance review. Board members did not comment on the outcome of the Oct. 14 review other than to say, at the time, that Walker remained superintendent. At that time, Walker replied to an email message from the Sun-Star asking about his possible departure, saying “Dos Palos is notorious for conjecture and ‘talk.’ ” He said there was “no change in my status” and it was “business as usual in Dos Palos.” He did not respond to questions about whether he planned to leave the district in the near future.

According to information on the website Realtor.com, Walker’s home on Venice Road has been listed for sale since early October. The 22-acre property is priced at $725,000.

Joe Castillo, the board president, said Monday the district will consider options to fill Walker’s position temporarily as it looks for a full-time replacement.

“I wish Dr. Walker well in his future endeavors, and the board truly appreciates his 20-plus years of service to our district,” Castillo said.

Dos Palos Oro Loma serves 2,600 students.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Dos Palos school superintendent resigns with $280,000 payout."