Audit finds steep salaries, misuse of funds at Clayton Valley charter school
CLAYTON — The married top leaders of Clayton Valley Charter High School raked in almost $850,000 in less than two years before leaving the school last spring, a county investigation found.
The probe also revealed that the couple misused school funds, hired people in secret and created positions without the school board’s approval.
An audit report released Friday evening as part of the agenda for the Contra Costa County Board of Education’s Oct. 3 meeting states that the charter school “has not been following best practices” when it comes to “management hiring practices, vendor service contracts, legal fees and credit card purchases.”
The report expresses “concern” over former executive director David Linzey’s salary and benefits and states that his contract was vulnerable to potential “manipulation.”
Signed by a school board member, Linzey’s contract included a base salary of $23,986 per month, plus 10 “floating” work days at $1,115 per month, for an annual package of $301,212. According to the audit, an amendment in 2015 eliminated payments for health benefits and a car allowance and instead added that money to the salary base, which would have potentially increased pension benefits upon retirement.
An annual salary increase of 3 percent a year and a clause that ensured Linzey would get a raise whenever employee unions got them were also worked into the contract, the audit says. Linzey’s compensation between July 1, 2016 and May 5, 2018 totaled $555,109, and while a provision in his contract called for board “evaluations” of his performance, there is no record that ever happened, according to the audit.
The audit also notes that the school board approved the hiring of Linzey’s wife, Eileen Linzey, as chief program officer without posting the open position or holding interviews. Her income from February 2017 through May 2018 totaled $296,047. The Linzeys’ household income from July 1, 2016 to May 15, 2018 totaled $849,776.
In addition, according to the audit, there was no record of the board creating the assistant superintendent position that Concord City Council member Ron Leone took in December 2017 and held during the first half of 2018 for $681 a day while running for county Continue reading: Clayton Valley charter school audit released by county
