Suffolk Legis. Martinez gets 1-year leave from school job

The Brentwood Board of Education has extended Legis. Monica Martinez’s leave of absence as a middle school assistant principal, but only for one year — which will take her halfway through her second term in the elected post.

A district spokesman said the board voted unanimously to extend the leave from her $117,000-a-year job at the East Middle School, which will last until Dec. 31, 2016.

The spokesman added, however, that whether the board might limit future extensions “is still up for discussion.”

Martinez, who will make $100,000 next year as a county lawmaker, had to seek a waiver after she was first elected. She got one then that covered her whole first two-year term.

That was granted after the county’s board of ethics ruled Martinez could not collect salaries as both school administrator and lawmaker under Suffolk’s “double dipping” law.

That law prohibits public employees from collecting two taxpayer-funded salaries at the same time. The only positions exempted are public school teachers or public college professors.

Martinez did not return calls for comment on the matter.

— Rick Brand