$600,000 Payout for Suspended Locust Valley Superintendent Hunderfund

Locust Valley School District Superintendent Anna Hunderfund is getting a lump-sum payout of $600,000 to end her employment with the Locust Valley school district. She will be retiring, effective June 30, 2020.

Hunderfund, already one of the highest paid school superintendents in New York, will still continue to be paid her $451K salary, including sick time, perks and any unused vacation time, until June. The agreement was signed October 3rd. The signed settlement stated that both the school district and Hunderfund denied any wrongdoing or impropriety.

Hunderfund began her tenure in Locust Valley in 2008.

On January 18, 2019 the School Board suspended Hunderfund on paid administrative leave, for “unspecified reasons.” The vote was unanimous with one trustee absent. Hunderfund said she “could not comment” on why she was suspended, because of "pending legal issues."

In January, the Board named Carl Bonuso as “acting” Superintendent, at $1000 a day salary and he was, in turn, replaced in August as acting Superintendent by Dr. Thomas Dolan. The current acting superintendent, Thomas Dolan, is being paid $5,000 a week to run the 2,000-student district.

Hunderfund is one of the highest-paid school administrators on Long Island, earning an annual salary and benefits amounting to $451,297, according to the most recent 2017-18 data reported to the New York State Teachers Retirement System.

The settlement prohibits school board members from making any “negative or disparaging statements” about Hunderfund, and releases both sides from any litigation or further legal challenges. The agreement also states that “the district represents and acknowledges there are no negative statements about Hunderfund in her personnel records and agrees not to include any negative statement about her in the future.”

Locust Valley School Board members contacted by the Leader refused to comment on the payout or the grounds for Hunderfund's removal.