Police were called out to keep the peace at meetings leading up to the vote. Dozens of parents packed the administration building with protest signs bearing such slogans as "Review Before Renew." Others formed Facebook complaint groups excoriating the board for making decisions they described as out of its bounds.
The dissenting parents say their problem is not with Royer but with what they see as the board's pattern in the last six months of committing Springfield to major expenditures after members' terms expire.
Those critical voices join an increasingly loud chorus statewide. Its complaints are aimed at Pennsylvania's school board election system and, in particular, the power it gives members who are on their way out or who are in contentious reelection races.
Two bills making their way through the General Assembly propose to curb the influence of such board members.
Springfield School Board President Anthony Quinn, who is seeking a third term, said he was "a little surprised at the vitriol" over Royer's contract.
"This superintendent," he said, "is heads and tails above everyone else."
Royer's new $168,500-a-year, four-year contract is set against the backdrop of a potential six-member shake-up in November's board election. Under the deal, she can hold on to her job through the winners' full terms.
During a board meeting Tuesday, Royer remained silent about her contract, only briefly saying afterward that she looked forward to continuing in her job for several years.
"They're saddling the district with these major financial decisions at a time when they're asking everyone else in the district to cut back," said Lisa Scott, the mother of two elementary students and a founding member of the Proud Parents and Community of Springfield Township School District. "And most of the board members won't be there to deal with the fallout."
