Despite recent legislation passed to give the public more details about separation payments to public employees, West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan school district leaders won't reveal why a principal was paid to quit.

Robin Percival will receive $64,590 to voluntarily resign as principal of Henry Sibley High School effective Jan. 28, according to the separation agreement. District officials acknowledged they investigated a complaint against Percival but took no disciplinary action.

The money is the equivalent of her remaining salary and benefits for the rest of the school year. School board members approved Percival's resignation Monday, Feb. 4.

In exchange, Percival agrees to drop any potential legal claims against the district. She could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

District officials said they don't have to reveal the allegations because the investigation was completed before Percival resigned and no disciplinary action was taken.

District spokeswoman Carrie Hilger said state data privacy rules prohibited the district from giving more information about why Percival was investigated and paid to resign.

The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, the state's open records law, requires governments to give a "specific reason" for a separation agreement when it includes more than $10,000 in taxpayer money. Hilger said the reason for the agreement was to end her employment and resolve any disputes.

The situation exposes a weakness in part of the state's public records rules that lawmakers tried to fix just last year. Rep. Pam Myhra, R-Burnsville, won the unanimous support of lawmakers and the signature of Gov. Mark Dayton for legislation strengthening the requirement that the reasons behind separation agreements be publicly disclosed.

Myhra drafted her bill after community members in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage district were outraged to learn a human resources director was paid $254,814 to resign and school leaders refused to say why. Under pressure, district officials eventually released some details, but the specific reason for the payout remains unclear.

"The intent of the bill was that taxpayers and parents would be able to have more information about what happened and the reasons money was paid out," Myhra said.

However, since the law was strengthened, government officials have found new ways around the disclosure rules, Myhra said.

"I expected it to be challenged. They are trying to see what they can get away with, how far they can push it," she said.

It's happened enough that Myhra hopes to introduce new language to further clarify that the rules require disclosure of the specific reasons behind separation deals.

In West St. Paul, Superintendent Nancy Allen-Mastro wrote an email to parents Feb. 5 informing them of Percival's resignation at Henry Sibley. The note does not disclose that there was a complaint against the principal of the Mendota Heights high school or that she received a separation payment.

Hilger declined a Pioneer Press request to speak with district officials about Percival's resignation. Mark Spurr, chair of the school board, said the district's lawyer advised him not to discuss the matter.

In a letter to parents attached to the superintendent's email, Percival wrote that resigning was "one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made, but it is the right one for me at this point in my life both personally and professionally."

Percival was at Henry Sibley for five years, according to her letter.

"Although I will no longer be your principal, I will always hold a special place in my heart for Sibley High School," she wrote.

Christopher Magan can be reached at 651-228-5557. Follow him on Twitter.