More than a year after she was placed on administrative leave from her position as principal of Marlboro Elementary School, a settlement was reached between Patricia Walsh and the school district.

The settlement was outlined in a heavily-redacted document obtained by the Southern Ulster Times through a formal request under the Freedom of Information Law. It does not disclose the reason for Walsh’s removal in the first place or the fact that she had filed a lawsuit seeking re-instatement.

What it does tell us is that the respective parties in the action are forbidden from speaking to the press or make public statements regarding the settlement. It also tells us that while she is no longer performing the duties of principal, Walsh will be paid her regular salary of $150,850 from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 and an additional $77,273.50 for July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 and will continue to receive all of her fringe benefits through the end of 2024. Two people, in essence, are being paid an elementary principal’s salary, including Walsh who is no longer doing the work.

The respective parties, quite understandably, are anxious to move on, but this chapter will not end until Walsh’s formal retirement takes effect on December 31, 2024. In the meantime, the district - and the taxpayers - are on the hook for an extra administrator’s salary. It’s not exactly a small-ticket item.

Those taxpayers, who are entitled to know how their money is being spent, deserve some sort of an explanation.