White Plains and Valhalla

Kathleen Matusiak, superintendent of the Irvington school district, will resign before the start of the school year, ending a seven-year tenure with the district.

The Irvington Board of Education announced Matusiak’s resignation at a board meeting on Wednesday. Matusiak, who is traveling and was not present at the meeting, will continue in the post until Aug. 31.

No reason was given for Matusiak’s resignation, which board president John Dawson told The Journal News this afternoon was a “surprise.” When pressed for a reason and asked to evaluate Matusiak’s job performance, Dawson referred to a board statement listing Matusiak’s accomplishments, including reducing budgets in recent years, developing the district’s first strategic plan and her close relationship with community members.

However, he added “there are certain things that the board as a whole has agreed to not get involved in discussing. That’s any kind of comments about the kind of job that she’s done.”

Dawson said Matusiak recently underwent an annual performance evaluation, but would not discuss its contents or conclusions. The superintendent’s current five-year contract, which runs through June 30, 2013, requires the evaluation to be completed in writing by June 15 each year.

Dawson said members of the public who wish to review Matusiak’s retirement agreement would have to, on the advice of the district’s attorney, file a Freedom of Information Law request. The resignation wasn’t finalized until Wednesday, though Matusiak first told the board of her intentions two weeks ago, Dawson said.

The board will immediately begin searching for an interim superintendent and a permanent replacement, he said.