Ex-South Country superintendent Antonio Santana to get $135G payout
Former South Country schools Superintendent Antonio Santana at a meeting in April. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
South Country schools Superintendent Antonio Santana, who resigned last week amid the district's ongoing fiscal crisis, will receive more than $135,000 in payouts, according to a settlement agreement obtained by Newsday.
The school board approved Santana's resignation on May 6. Under the settlement, Santana will be paid a lump sum of $35,625 within 30 days of the board’s approval of the agreement. The figure is equal to the remainder of his gross salary through June 30.
Santana will also be paid another $100,000 within 90 days of the settlement’s approval, according to the agreement. Newsday obtained the settlement and his contract through a Freedom of Information Law request.
Santana, who joined the district in 2022, declined to comment on his settlement Tuesday but echoed his previous statement that he hoped his resignation would help encourage residents to support South Country's 2026-27 budget.
The proposed budget, to be voted on May 19, would raise the tax levy by 13.45% to cover a projected shortfall of nearly $6 million. The levy would pierce the district's tax cap, requiring 60% voter approval to pass.
“South Country will always hold a special place in my heart,” Santana wrote in a text. “In thinking about all of the students and staff, I keep faith that the community will come out and support the budget.”
School board president Anne Hayes said in a statement that the settlement was “reached in the best interests of all parties.”
Trustee Chris Picini declined to comment on the settlement, citing confidentiality. He said in general, a settlement costs less than what it would take to part with a superintendent through a lengthy administrative process or in court.
Santana’s contract specified that his employment could not be terminated unless his case was heard by a hearing officer.
The school board has appointed John Dolan, a former East Islip superintendent, to serve as interim superintendent beginning Thursday. Dolan will be paid $1,000 for each day worked and his employment agreement is to run through Sept. 1.
Pressure to resign
Santana's contract with South Country was to run through 2028, with a base salary of $237,500 in 2025-26. But in recent months, he has faced calls from residents to step down.
The financially troubled district has faced multiple years of deficits and was at risk of running out of money before state lawmakers last month approved an immediate $7 million infusion of advance state aid and permission to borrow another $11 million. The money cannot be used to lower the district's 2026-27 tax levy.
Lawmakers last month asked the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office to investigate whether criminal malfeasance was involved in the district's financial troubles. Santana previously told Newsday there was “no evidence of fraud."
The district on Tuesday released findings from Investigative Management Group, a Manhattan-based firm hired by the board last fall to conduct a forensic audit.
The firm said its review “found no evidence of embezzlement, kickbacks, or intentional misappropriation of funds.” The firm concluded “the overruns resulted from systemic failures in budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, and administrative oversight.”
The district said in a press release Tuesday that the identified financial missteps have been corrected. Hayes said in a statement the IMG report “debunks the speculation and unsubstantiated accusations circulating in the community.”
Dandan Zou covers education for Newsday. Previously, she worked for a community newspaper in Maryland and a personal finance magazine in Washington, D.C.
