Parents and community members demanded more transparency from the Francis Howell School District Board of Education during a meeting Thursday night.
The calls during the public comment portion of the meeting for more information focused on unanswered questions surrounding the district’s decision on a payout to former Superintendent Mike Dominguez, who resigned weeks before the start of the school year.
The school board paid Dominguez nearly $230,000, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, after he resigned from his position in late July. He never worked for the district. Dominguez then accepted a position as assistant superintendent in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Christy McLaughlin, the parent of a Francis Howell student, was one of a handful of community members who asked for more information.
“Leadership changes happen, but let’s be honest, chaos is a choice,” McLaughlin said. “With succession planning, respect for teachers and staff and clear communication, transitions can be managed without leaving families and staff in the dark.”
State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick’s office will review the payout as a part of a regular, annual review of the district later this year after it received a “poor” rating last December, according to a statement from Trevor Fox, a spokesperson for the auditor’s office.
“In this case, while we're checking to see if they have made progress with implementing our recommendations, we will also look at the issue of the severance pay for the former superintendent,” Fox said in a statement.
School board President Steven Blair said the members have “nothing to hide,” after a regular monthly meeting on Thursday.
The district selected Dominguez for the top role in March following a short, national search to replace Kenneth Roumpos, who had announced his intention to resign. He's now the superintendent of the Kirkwood School District.
Dominguez was to start with the district on July 1. Francis Howell then announced on June 27 that Dominguez would be delayed in joining the district due to "unforeseen circumstances.”
The district sent a notice on Aug. 1 stating that Dominguez had resigned from the district as of July 31 to “pursue opportunities that better align with the current needs of his family.”
When asked why the district chose to pay out Dominguez, Blair said he could not comment on a personnel matter but encouraged the public to continue to write to him with questions and concerns.
The board tapped longtime Francis Howell administrator Mark Delaney to serve as interim superintendent for the remainder of the 2025-26 school year.
Blair said the board members have not discussed whether they will conduct another national search for a permanent superintendent.
