North Babylon school administrator Kimberly Skillen to resign, disciplinary charges dropped

A North Babylon school administrator will be paid to work from home through June 2027 as part of a deal that calls for her resignation in exchange for having disciplinary charges dropped, according to a settlement agreement obtained through a public information request.

Kimberly Skillen, the district’s deputy superintendent of instruction, was paid $220,404 in the 2024-25 school year.

She has been placed on “special assignment and reassigned to home performing duties within her tenure area,” and is allowed to step foot on school grounds only with Superintendent Kenneth Graham’s approval, according to the settlement that she signed on Feb. 5.

As part of the deal, Skillen will receive payment for unused personal and sick days to be deposited into a 403(b) retirement account, according to the settlement agreement. As of the date of the agreement, she had 107 days accumulated and was expected to get 14 more on July 1.

Skillen has denied the charges against her, which the district declined to release through a public records request, citing privacy concerns. Charges that lack a final finding or disciplinary action are normally withheld from such requests.

Reached by phone, Skillen referred questions to her attorney, William Wexler. He did not respond to requests for comment.

A district representative said it could not comment on personnel matters.

State complaint

School districts that want to fire a tenured educator must file disciplinary charges with the state. Newsday has previously detailed how districts sometimes prefer to reach confidential agreements with the educators in question rather than engage in what's considered a lengthy and costly process.

In June, Graham submitted a complaint to the state Education Department’s Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability alleging that an audit report suggested Skillen "has committed acts that raise a reasonable question as to her moral character."

The district had hired auditing firm R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP in October 2024 to review “certain additional pay items” from July 2019 to October 2024. The firm interviewed more than a dozen employees, including Skillen, who declined to answer questions by asserting her “Cadet Rights,” which allows tenured educators to remain silent during investigations that could result in disciplinary charges.

The audit included reviewing additional wages paid to three employees. At least some of the extra pay involved federal grant work, raising questions about compliance, according to the audit.

A review of the time logs showed that in many cases the extra pay was not substantiated. In one case, an employee received $26,062 for an extra 973 hours worked between July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, the audit found. Many of those hours — 763.3 — were approved only by Skillen, the audit found.

That employee's contractual salary for 2020-21 was $48,075.53 but was boosted to $74,137.85 with the extra compensation, according to the audit.

Auditors determined that in positions mostly overseen by Skillen, payments were made without “formal Board appointment,” even though board approval is required for new hires and current employees. Multiple submissions of extra pay forms lacked the routinely required signatures from two supervisors. In those instances, Skillen was the sole approver, per the audit.

Multiple timesheets that were processed also included only Skillen’s signature, according to the audit.

The firm’s final audit report was issued in March 2025.

In February 2025, Skillen also became part of an investigation related to “compensation/spending issues,” according to a report released to Newsday through a public records request.

"The investigation was to specifically consider the issue of official misconduct," attorney Elena Cacavas, who conducted the investigation, wrote in the heavily redacted report.

Cacavas said the March 2025 audit “uncovered total payments in the amount of $152,323” that were approved by Skillen. 

Under questioning as part of the investigation, Graham said Skillen had complained that an employee, whose name was redacted, was "grossly underpaid" and would leave the district. Graham said he began to look at compensation for clerical employees and an audit was later authorized, according to the report.

Some employees were receiving extra pay for roles that were not posted. Graham also said district procedures weren't always being followed.

During an interview for the investigation, Frank Bacchi, then the assistant superintendent for business, said that it was common for "payroll to process payments if an invoice only had one signature" despite two being required.

On Feb. 12, the board approved a new position for assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction effective July 1. Graham declined to respond when asked if the person in this position would perform the same duties as Skillen.

District parent Karen Schmitt attended the meeting and later told Newsday, " I am appalled by the fiscal irresponsibility of the district. ... Every dollar spent on administrative payouts is a dollar intentionally taken away from our children's classrooms and essential services.”

During the same meeting, the board also voted to approve a stipulation of settlement agreement, without identifying the employee involved.

Board president Heather Rowland said at the meeting, “This board did not reach this decision lightly. After careful review of the circumstances and consideration of the time, the cost and the resources required to continue litigation, this board determined that resolving the matter at this stage is in the best interest of the district, our students and our community.” 

By Lorena Mongelli

lorena.mongelli@newsday.com

Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.