Kent School District leader reportedly seeking $600,000 buyout

Published 10:25 am Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Kent School District Superintendent Israel Vela reportedly wants a $600,000 buyout of his contract for what he claims are a Kent School Board member’s violations of his agreement.

Board Director Donald Cook wrote in a May 10 Facebook post that during a May 6 executive session, which Cook already has claimed violated the state Open Public Meetings Act, the board discussed Vela’s contract, a threat to sue the district and “the superintendent’s potential separation from the district.”

Cook said he’s releasing what was discussed because it is of great public interest and part of his duty to share the information.

“The magnitude of what is being considered is significant, a $600,000 demand by the Kent School District superintendent, to avoid litigation from the same,” Cook posted.

Cook revealed in a Kent Reporter story in March that he chose to go public with emails and mailed letters about him received from a law firm representing Vela. The emails claim “unlawful interference” with Vela’s superintendent agreement that “has caused continued disruption and loss of time and focus on the needs of the district and the students it serves.” Cook said Vela is using the threat of that suit to try to get a buyout.

Cook said he has concerns the other three board members (one seat is vacant) might process such a payment without a public vote that would put the directors on record. The board has the power to hire and fire the superintendent.

“I believe the public has the right to know what is being considered by this board; especially when it involves taxpayer dollars of this magnitude, before it is processed, regardless of whether a formal vote of the board occurs,” Cook said.

Cook said during last week’s executive session that he opposed any payout to Vela.

“I was wholeheartedly against that idea and stated in that meeting that the board should go to court over it, the rest of the board (yes, all three of them) had other ideas regarding this, suggesting we pay approximately half of his request instead,” Cook said. “The purpose being that this going to court would make it hard for the district to get a good superintendent, I disagreed.”

The other board members are Board President Meghin Margel, Vice President Teresa Gregory and Laura Williams. Director Andy Song resigned April 22 because he is moving out of town. The board plans to appoint a replacement for Song in June.

Vela has not replied to a Kent Reporter email for comment about his request for a potential buyout.

Vela received a two-year contract extension from the board in September 2024, which expires June 30, 2027. Cook opposed the contract and abstained from voting. Margel and then-board members Song, Tim Clark and Awale Farah approved the contract.

The board kept Vela’s annual salary at $355,000, the same amount it hired him for in 2022. The board changed the agreement to allow Vela to receive 6.5% of his salary each year to put into a tax sheltered annuity, an amount worth $23,075 per year in deferred compensation.

Cook said the contract extension also included an addendum that substantially gave the superintendent his contractual reasoning to sue the board in the first place.

Cook said he hopes the board discusses Vela’s buyout option in public now that he’s made it a public issue.

“But I’m guessing they’ll claim this was supposed to stay in the inappropriately held executive session,” Cook said.

Cook said the executive session turned into an evaluation of a public officer. The public notice about the executive session stated the purpose was “to discuss potential litigation, and the legal or financial risks of a course of action.”

The Tacoma-based Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC), a nonprofit organization that helps local governments across the state better serve their communities by providing legal and policy guidance, had the following summary on its website about executive sessions, based on a state Office of the Attorney General ruling.

“While “confidential information” is not defined in RCW (Revised Code of Washington) 42.23.070(4), AGO 2017 No. 5 has made it clear that anything discussed under the scope of the executive session would be considered confidential,” according to MRSC. “But if a governing body discussed matters outside of the scope of the executive session — or the reason the executive session was called — that information would not be considered confidential.”

The Kent Reporter reached out to the Kent School District communications team for comment about the possible May 6 Open Public Meetings Act violation but did not receive a response.