Posted: 5/21/03

School chief contract near in ISD 831

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Officials in ISD 831 are closing in on a new contract for Superintendent Lynn Steenblock that would pay the school chief more than $146,000 in salary and fringe benefits in the 2003-2004 school year.

But more work remains on the three-year contract for Steenblock who is completing is third year as superintendent of school here. The boardís staff welfare committee will continue its negotiations with Steenblock at 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 27 at the Central Learning Center, 200 SW 4th St.

A formal recommendation from the committee is likely to go before the full school board at its next regular meeting Monday, June 2.

After discussion Monday, the committeeís main focus will be on early retirement and severance credits that the superintendent will receive each year.

Under his current deal, Steenblock receives 11 days of annual secured credit and the proposal reviewed Monday increases the days of credit to 26 in each of the first two years and 26.5 days in the final year of the contract.

Board members Karen Morehead, Joe Grafft and Jody Krebs agreed the subject should be discussed again.

ìI see no reason to jump right there,î Morehead said. She suggested an increase from 11 to 20 days for this three-year contract might be appropriate with an additional increase considered for a subsequent contract for Steenblock.

Board President Bill Bresin said by law Steenblock can carry forward a maximum of 111.5 days of severance pay. Upon his departure by early retirement, severance or resignation, Steenblock would receive compensation based on his current rate of daily pay.

Compensation

Compensation for the superintendent could reach $146,309 in wages and fringe benefits in the first year under the proposed contract reviewed this week.

In terms of salary, Steenblockís current $120,000 annual pay would increase to $122,000 in the first year. In the 2004-2005 year, the salary would increase to $125,000 and go to $128,000 in the 2005-2006 school year.

Steenblock is also eligible for a pay for performance bonus based on the staff welfare committeeís annual evaluation of established goals for the chief. He is currently eligible for a $3000 pay for performance bonus.

Under the contract proposal, the pay for performance bonus would increase to a maximum $5500, $7000 and $8500 in the three respective years of the contract.

Steenblockís new contract would pay a monthly car expense allowance of $550 or $6600 a year. The current car allowance is $500 a month.

In the second and third years of the contract, the car expense allowance will increase by 3 percent a year.

The contract draft also calls for an $1100 district contribution to a health care reimbursement plan for the superintendent.

The district will also pay the full cost of a $150,000 group term life insurance policy, long-term disability insurance, health and hospitalization and dental coverage for the superintendent and his dependents.

Under the current contract, the district is paying the annual cost of health and hospitalization at $10,035 and dental insurance at $1074. New rates for 2003-2004 have not been factored.

Bresin costed the salary improvement at 1.6 percent in the first year, 2.45 percent in the second year and 2.4 percent in the third year. The salary improvement is 4.05 percent over the first two years of the contract, a period during which other employee groups will be up for contracts.

Other benefits

The superintendent is also available for other benefits under the contract proposal. They include:

ï12 paid holidays each year including three days during the Christmas holiday season.

ï20 days of paid sick leave for each working year which may accumulate to a maximum of 150 days. For early retirement and severance, the contract allow the superintendent to accrue a maximum of 100 sick leave days.

ï25 working days of annual paid vacation. A maximum of 50 days of unused vacation may be carried over to the next contract year. Upon leaving the district, Steenblock would be compensated for vacation due in the contract year and days carried over from the previous years.

The contract under review is based in part on previous contracts the district had in place with former superintendents Don Ruble and Gerald Brynildson.

Board member Dean Barr, who serves on the staff welfare committee with Bresin and Susan Novak, said there is nothing unique in the pact.

ìThis contract is essentially a standard contract,î Barr said.

Bresin said the contract proposal will place Steenblock $6000 to $7000 below the metro average for superintendents.

ìWe want that to improve somehow,î Bresin said.

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