The Mountain View Whisman School District Board of Trustees voted to part ways with its chief business officer, Robert Clark, cutting him a check equal to six months' pay as part of the severance agreement.

The unanimous vote, announced out of closed session at the April 25 school board meeting, ended the contract between the district and Clark the same day. Reading from a statement, board president Tamara Wilson said the district and the governing board "sincerely thank Dr. Clark for his service and wish him well in the future."

Clark was hired as the district's assistant superintendent by former interim Superintendent Kevin Skelly to oversee the budget and construction projects at a time when both were a hotbed of activity. The state had recently enacted a new school funding formula and property taxes were reaching new heights, providing a major influx of cash.

At the same time, the district was deep into the planning and construction of several school facilities projects using Measure G funding, and there was intense debate about whether there was enough money to build a new school in the city's Whisman neighborhood. During Clark's tenure, the board ultimately decided to borrow an additional $40 million to build a new school, which would be paid off largely through revenue from leasing district property to Google and a private school.

District documents show that Clark had requested a leave of absence from Jan. 28 through April 19 this year, which fell within the protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In his absence, Ron Wheelehan was appointed interim CBO to oversee Clark's duties at the district office.

Board members did not disclose in open session when they sought to terminate the agreement, but did disclose Clark would receive six months' pay -- or about $103,000 -- as part of the termination. The contract states that the district is obligated to pay Clark for the remainder of his contract or six months' pay, whichever is smaller, if his contract is unilaterally terminated without cause. The term of the contract was set to end on June 30, 2020.

District officials declined to comment on the departure, citing confidentiality surrounding personnel issues.