It’s happened again—another government employee got a golden parachute.

The Dallas Express recently reported that Harlingen ISD’s outgoing superintendent is resigning under mysterious circumstances, and they’re departing with a lot of taxpayer money, “even as the school district faces financial challenges.” The size of the severance? Over $250,000 plus the value of unused leave.

The school board actually sought to defend the payment in an official statement, saying:

“The Agreement ensures fiscal responsibility amid a challenging financial environment. The former Superintendent had a three-year contract that if paid in full would have exceeded a million dollars. By accepting his resignation, the District is no longer obligated to pay the final two years of this contract.”

All of this raises some pressing questions, like, “why did HISD put itself in this position by including a provision guaranteeing a buyout, especially given its dire financial condition?” (Answer: special interests likely guided their decision through lawyers, templates, and collectivist pressures). “What is the reason for the superintendent’s resignation and did it have any bearing on the final arrangement?” “Why does the State even allow six-figure severance payments to begin with?” And, “what is to be done about any of this?”

To the last question at least, some legislative solutions might be found in earlier published research. In an article on severance pay reform, TPPF scholars offer up 3 commonsense changes that can be made to rein in much of the bad behavior. Those include:

  • Capping severance pay at a definitive amount, like the equivalent of 20 weeks’ compensation;
  • Withholding payouts altogether in the event of employee misconduct or extreme poor performance; and
  • Requiring severance payment agreements to be prominently posted online.

These solutions support the best interest of taxpayers and superintendents alike. In the case of the taxpayer, the reforms would mean that tax dollars aren’t being spent inappropriately and for no public purpose. In the superintendent’s case, the reforms would improve public trust and transparency.

One way or another, it’s time for the Texas Legislature to make some commonsense change and bring an end to the practice of giving golden parachutes to government employees.