Pay OK’d for school post pick
Key’s choice gets lawmaker praise
A legislative panel Wednesday endorsed state Education Commissioner Johnny Key’s recommendation to pay an annual salary of $112,573 for the Pulaski County Special School District’s school maintenance services director to become the director of the Arkansas Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation Division.
The Legislature’s personnel subcommittee approved Key’s proposal to pay Brad Montgomery a special entry rate of $112,573 for an exceptionally well-qualified applicant for the post. Montgomery, 54, is paid an annual salary of $104,600 in his post in the Pulaski County Special School District.
The position will develop financing mechanisms for public school building construction, generate funding structures for public school building modernization and address existing school buildings’ unresolved maintenance needs, the state’s personnel administrator, Kay Barnhill, wrote in a letter to the subcommittee.
State Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, told her fellow lawmakers that Montgomery would be “a stellar employee” for the state.
“He really and truly has no real good reason to leave his position other than deciding to serve our state,” Elliott said. “He is in a position
right now where he is doing a fantastic job and people are happy with his work, and for us to get him even at this cost is a coup for this state.”
Montgomery’s experience includes 33 years of service in the United States Air Force and the Air Force Reserves and 24 years of experience in multiple positions in school districts, Barnhill wrote in her letter to the personnel subcommittee.
Key wants to compensate Montgomery “in line with his most similar peers,” which are state Department of Education assistant commissioners, and the lowest-paid assistant commissioner earns $112,572 a year, the department’s assistant commissioner for fiscal and administrative services, Greg Rogers, wrote in a letter to Barnhill.
Terry Granderson, an assistant director for the Arkansas Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation,
has been serving as its interim director for the past several months, state officials said. His salary is $90,780 a year.
Granderson replaced Charles Stein, who retired June 19 from the division that works to ensure adequate and safe buildings and transportation for public school students. Stein was paid $110,742 a year when he retired.
After the subcommittee’s meeting, Key said he’s recommending that the three-member Commission for Arkansas Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation hire Montgomery as the director of the Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation Division. Key serves on the commission, along with state Department of Finance and Administration Director Larry Walther and Arkansas Development Finance Authority President Aaron Burkes.
Montgomery “was the most qualified candidate” of the three interviewed for the job, based on his experience in the Little Rock and Pulaski County
Special school districts and the military, said Key, a former Republican state senator from Mountain Home.
Key said he expects the commission to hold a meeting soon to consider his recommendation to hire Montgomery and that he hopes Montgomery can start work by Feb. 1.
Montgomery, who lives in Lonoke, has been the Pulaski County Special School District’s director of school maintenance services since 2011, and was its transportation director from 2000-11 and director of purchasing from 1994-99, according to his resume. He worked for Laidlaw Education Services as district manager from 1999-2000. He worked for the Little Rock School District from 1991-94, serving stints as director of transportation, risk manager and security supervisor.
His latest military assignment has been as emergency preparedness liaison officer at Tyndall Air Force in Bay County, Fla., since 2010, according to his resume.