Schools chief turns down raise, bonus
AMITY>> Daniel Boone Area School District Superintendent James P. Harris made a surprise move when he refused a $2,000 salary increase and a one-time merit bonus of $1,500.
“As a leader of this district, I don’t feel I should get a bonus or raise until all contracts are settled and all employees are taken care of,” Harris told the school board on Monday.
Harris was hired to run the school district last October under a three-year contract that pays him a base salary of $140,000.
Prior to Harris’ comments, the school board took a series of votes on salary matters.
The board had just approved by a 6-1 vote, one-time merit bonuses for confidential secretaries for their 2015-16 school year performance.
Confidential secretaries and their raises include: Lori Bracken, $1,500 raise; Lisa Kieke, $1,000; Sandy Kramer, $1,000, and Kathy McNeely, $1,500.
Board members David Rathgeb and Michael Wolfe were ab-
sent from the meeting.
The board also approved by a 6-1 vote an agenda item listed as “Administrative Salary Adjustments” for the 2016-17 school year.
Opposing votes to both motions were cast by board member Richard Martino.
“Until we start capping salaries, I cannot approve raises and bonuses,” Martino said.
He was prepared to vote on the motion for a $2,000 salary increase and a onetime $1,000 merit bonus for Business Manager Loren Small.
Martino cast the opposing vote in the board’s 6-1 vote to table the motion.
The audience was mostly comprised of the district’s custodial, maintenance, and grounds-keeping employees, which the board unanimously approved to terminate, effective June 30.
Employees were terminated in order for them to accept employment with GCA Educational Services Inc., headquartered in Cleveland.
The board’s June 27 agenda states that the dis- trict has contracted with a third party vendor for custodial services, “based on budgetary considerations and financial savings to the District.”
“Is this a corporation?” asked custodian Daniel Wagner.
“This is the taxpayer’s money. Howdo you have the right to give out bonuses? You don’t know a darn thing about running a business,” said Wagner.
His comments were precipitated by Union Township resident Perry Templin.
“We let go 29 food service employees last year, and now 35 custodial,” said Templin. “We don’t have enough money to keep inhouse people, but we have enough money for bonuses and raises. Nowthat doesn’t make any sense, does it?”
Board members unanimously approved a threeyear contract with GCA on May 23.
Harris and Small said the district’s savings are $600,000 by hiring an outside firm to handle custodial and maintenance duties.
Those savings will be re- alized, district officials say, as GCA hires back current employees (who would start July 1 with no gaps in employment), and as it hires new employees — all at a “compatible salary.”
Several current custodial, maintenance, and groundskeeping employees have already resigned citing incompatible salary and benefits packages.
Custodian Janice Airey said she is “out” $582.10 if she accepts the salary offered by GCA.
She said the salary of her coworker Frank Abbattiscianni would be reduced by $521, but he would also need to pay annual insurance costs of $906.
“We went in at competitive wages and benefits packages, but this isn’t compatible at all,” said Airey, adding, “This is terrible to be out that kind of money.”
“I can’t work under these conditions — $900 for a family [insurance] plan,” said Phillip Trassert, maintenance, informing the board that he must resign his position.
“I feel I am an asset. There are so many things I have done, can do, things I made look new again. You get workers out of Reading, they won’t do what I have done. I have kept the schools secure,” said Trassert with emotions rasping his voice.
“Are we going to have a meeting, or is this a done deal?” asked Airey..
Harris said “impact bargaining” between the Federation of Support Staff, the District, and GCA has ended.
The Memorandum of Agreement states that the Federation negotiated that all eligible custodial, maintenance, and grounds-keeping employees would be paid earned and unused vacation days.
“Compatible salaries were offered [to current employees] for the work they do,” said Harris after the meeting, adding, “We [our salaries] were much higher than the market; sub services were paying what GCA pays — their initial rate.”
Martino said the Federation and district’s negotiated salary with GCA was 30 percent higher than the local market salaries for comparable work.
“Based upon the fact that we have more money than I thought we had, I’d like to rescind the tax increase,” said Martino.
The board approved 5-3 on June 13, the 2016-17 budget with a 2.5 percent tax increase, effective July 1.
That will increase the millage rate from 28.96 to 29.70 mills.
Property owners who currently pay $2,869 for every $100,000 of value, will pay $2.970.
Martino’s motion failed for lack of a second, as well as his motion to eliminate one elementary position.
“Eliminating that position would put additional
money into the district’s capital reserve account,” said Martino, adding, “The preliminary budget indicated the account would be $500,000, instead of the current $150,000.”
“The $500,000 estimate was the result of an analy- sis of the decline in enrollment, and the reduction of staff accordingly.”
“I thought there was a consensus to reduce the Middle School staff by one. If there is a reduction of 40 students going into the Middle School, we should cut that one person then at the Middle School sixth grade.”
That motion failed by a 5-2 vote.