The St. Marys school board voted 4-1 in favor of a new salary schedule for all administrators directly tying their wages to teachers union wages and gives administrators wage increases for 14 years straight! Teachers receive 14 increases over 30 years of service.
I sought the reasoning behind this; Interim Superintendent Overman stated it was because administrators don’t become administrators until they’ve been in the system for 10 to 15 years.
Untrue, a number of administrative positions don’t require prior teaching experience or apprenticeships.
A gross “conflict of interest” is created by attaching administrator wages to negotiated union wages! This pay schedule removed all BoE wage discretion over all administrators!
Contrary to Overman’s claims that the increases will be 2 to 2.5 percent; it will be more likely be 3.7 to 3.9 percent compounded annually over the 15 years for the superintendent and treasurer.
Overman signed a contract to continue as interim superintendent this next year at the same pay rate as this year ($117,000); 17 percent more than former Supt. Brown received last year. Overman had the audacity and lack of professionalism to laugh and joke about this, thanking BOE President Dammeyer for the pay raise at the April meeting.
The public needs to heed three things:
• The treasurer and superintendent created this “Pay Increase Schedule”, not the Board of Education!
• YOU will pay for these increases, NOT the Board of Education!
• The only board member who bothered to ask critical questions or research this step pay schedule is the one objecting!
This board is failing again to exercise common sense and fiscal responsibility!
Bob Valentine,
St. Marys school board member
