Last modified: Friday, September 22, 2006 1:26 AM EDT

Tyrell buy out blasted

FOXBORO -- School committee member Kate Kominsky has blasted fellow board members for what she sees as a push-out of Superintendent Katheen Tyrell at the expense of students and taxpayers.

Kominsky said voters should remember it on election day.

`` The superintendent's leaving is an extraordinary expenditure that has been made because a majority of the school committee members decided that they did not want to work with the superintendent,'' Kominsky said in an interview. `` In my opinion, this option was not in the best interest of our children, Foxboro public schools or our town.''

A long-time Tyrell supporter, Kominksy said the severance agreement between Tyrell and the board will cost taxpayers far more than its $175,000 face value when costs such as legal expenses, recruiting and hiring a new superintendent and covering the position on an acting basis this year are added in.

`` The process was flawed,'' she said. `` There were other options not considered or discussed with school committee members, and in my opinion, the process was not handled to the best of our ability.''

Kominsky declined to detail what those options were.

`` This comes down to a vote,'' she said. `` The voters will have to take a look at this and make that determination. Our community, the public, will decide that, and voters will decide.''