Superintendent contracts shape district spending for many years. They define salary, benefits, leave structures, future obligations, and retirement costs. Understanding these agreements helps the community follow budgeting, evaluate long-term commitments, and make sense of district decisions.
This briefing reviews Jericho’s past superintendent contract structure, compares it to Syosset’s publicly posted contracts, and explains why accurate posting and transparency matter. This is not criticism of individuals or Boards. Contract norms vary by era. The goal is community understanding.
Jericho’s Past Contract Structure: What the Documents Show
Former Superintendent Henry Grishman retired in 2025. His compensation in the years leading up to retirement, based on NYSTRS data, was:
2023–24: $358,373
2019–20: $355,916
2018–19: $354,891
2017–18: $352,191
These were his active-year compensation totals, reflecting salary plus contractual benefits.
The contract provisions driving these costs come from his long-standing agreement. Key elements include:
1. Salary With No Performance-Based Metrics
His contract did not tie pay to measurable goals such as academic performance, student growth, program execution, fiscal accuracy, or district-wide metrics. Raises were handled through extensions rather than structured formulas.
2. Sick Leave Accrual and Payout
Grishman received 54 sick days per year, far above regional norms.
Unused sick days could be paid out at retirement at up to the equivalent of one full year of salary, depending on accumulated days.
3. Lifetime Insurance Coverage
Upon retirement, the district paid 100 percent of health insurance premiums for both the superintendent and spouse. Dental and other ancillary benefits also continued at district expense.
4. Additional Benefits
The contract included:
district-funded life insurance
district-funded disability insurance
a district vehicle for both business and personal use
generous vacation rollover
5. A More Complex Removal Process
Jericho’s earlier contract used a lengthy due-process framework that included extensive hearing procedures, transcripts, discovery, and continued full pay and benefits throughout the process.
All of these terms are legal. Many appear in older contracts elsewhere across Long Island. But they represent expansive financial commitments that many community members may not realize were in place.
How Syosset Structures Its Superintendent Contract (With Evidence)
To understand what is typical versus what is optional, it helps to compare Jericho’s prior approach with Syosset’s current public contracts.
Syosset posts:
the original superintendent contract (2014)
all amendments including 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022
all central office contract documents on one centralized page
This allows the public to see clearly how the agreements are structured.
Here is the factual comparison:
Jericho vs. Syosset: Contract Structure Comparison
1. Salary Increases
Syosset:
Salary increases follow a fixed formula, typically +1.5% annually (2022–2026).
Predictable, transparent, and published.
Jericho:
Increases occurred through extensions and renewals, not written formulas.
No documented performance criteria.
Result: Syosset’s structure is more predictable and easier for the public to evaluate.
2. Vacation and Sick Leave
Syosset:
30 vacation days, no carryover.
Cash-out allowed only for 5 days per year, and only if unused because of district business.
Sick days: up to 180 maximum, no payout at separation.
Jericho:
24 vacation days with carryover up to 48.
Sick days: 54 per year, with retirement payout worth up to one year of salary.
Result: Jericho’s older structure carried far larger long-term financial exposure.
3. Health Insurance in Retirement
Syosset:
Superintendent pays 22% of health premiums in retirement (same as active rate).
Eligibility requires 10 years of service.
Jericho:
District pays 100% of premiums for superintendent and spouse for life.
No required retiree contribution.
Result: Jericho’s past contract terms were significantly more expensive for taxpayers.
4. Vehicle and Ancillary Benefits
Syosset:
No district vehicle.
Mileage reimbursed only outside Nassau County.
Long-term care insurance capped at $1,800 per year.
LTD and life insurance at standard levels.
Jericho:
District-provided vehicle for personal and business use.
District-paid policies across multiple categories.
Result: Jericho’s structure was more expansive and more costly.
5. Termination Process
Syosset:
Hearing officer selected from a district-provided list of three.
Straightforward structure.
District pays for hearing officer.
Jericho:
More procedural steps.
Extensive discovery.
Transcripts of each day.
Pay and benefits continue throughout.
Harder to navigate, longer, and more expensive.
Result: Jericho’s historical contract was more complex and offered broader protections.
Transparency: The Key Difference
Syosset’s Model
Syosset maintains a single, centralized public page that includes:
Every superintendent contract
Every amendment
Every central office contract
Every union agreement
Everything is labeled, chronological, and easy for any resident to understand. This level of transparency is common across Long Island.
Jericho’s Current Posting Situation
Jericho does not have a centralized HR page or contract repository of any kind.
Instead, the district currently has:
1. A Superintendent Page With Incorrect Contract Links
The official superintendent page for 2025–2026 lists Dr. Robert Kravitz as the superintendent.
However, the two contract buttons on that page still link to:
Superintendent Contract – Grishman
Superintendent Contract Extension – Grishman
This means the page shows Kravitz’s name and picture, but links to the previous superintendent’s contract documents.
No other nearby district posts mismatched superintendent documents like this.
2. Older Contract PDFs Posted in Various Locations (Not a “Contracts Page”)
Jericho also has some older superintendent and administrative contracts posted elsewhere on the site, including:
Superintendent Original Contract 2014 (Grishman)
Amendments from 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022 (also Grishman)
A few older administrative contracts
But:
These files are not in a dedicated Contracts section
They are not organized
They are not labeled clearly
They do not include any current agreements
And they do not include Dr. Kravitz’s 2025–2026 contract
The district has never posted the current superintendent’s contract, despite it being a public document.
What This Means for Residents
Because Jericho does not post the current superintendent contract anywhere:
Residents cannot see the terms governing the district’s current leader
No one can compare today’s structure to prior contracts
There is no way to confirm whether modern performance-based terms were adopted
The community cannot understand present-day benefit or retirement obligations
There is no accurate way to compare Jericho’s current practices to surrounding districts
This is not about assigning blame.
It is simply about providing complete, accessible, public documentation.
Most districts near us — Syosset, Manhasset, Garden City, Roslyn, Locust Valley, Port Washington, and more — provide consolidated posting of every superintendent contract.
Jericho can match this standard by posting the correct, current agreement where residents expect to find it.
Why It Matters
Accurate contract posting:
Clarifies long-term district obligations
Supports informed public engagement
Mirrors standard transparency practices across Long Island
Helps build trust
Prevents confusion between old and new agreements
The community benefits when they can easily view the contract that actively governs the superintendent today.