Colorado Springs Independent: Six months after Colorado Springs School District 11 handed one of its top officials a raise, the district sent him packing — with severance pay, records show.

Scott Lewis, executive director of facilities, operations and transportation, earned a job performance rating of “exemplary” in June 2018, but was placed on paid administrative leave from Jan. 2 through Jan. 31.

The Jan. 9 school board agenda reports his departure as a resignation, effective Jan. 31, for “personal” reasons, but when the Independent asked for his resignation letter, the district said, “No such document exists.”

The district paid Lewis $15,477 for the one-month leave in January, as well as $3,119 for district benefits such as health insurance, under a severance agreement, according to data released by the district. But D-11 refuses to release or discuss the agreement itself.

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