Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Looking for a way to slice another $2 million in general fund spending, the ISD 831 School Board found one last week.

In a series of unanimous votes, the school board approved a mutually agreed plan that will freeze wages for all its top administrative personnel in the 2005-2006 school year that starts July 1.

The board, meeting in regular session Thursday, Jan. 6, approved new two-year contracts for its directors, supervisors and principals and ratified a memorandum of understanding for Superintendent Lynn Steenblockís contract for the 2005-2006 school year. He will begin the third year of his current three-year contract July 1.

Approval of the wage agreements comes as the school board takes its first steps this winter to adjust its expenditures for the next school term. The board met Wednesday night and will meet again Wednesday, Jan. 18 to begin outlining plans for a $2 million budget cut.

The board is also in the formative stages for a November excess operating levy vote to secure additional dollars from the local property tax base.

With state revenues for basic education aid frozen the past two years and no increase expected for 2005-2006, school officials say turning to the local taxpayers is the only recourse.

The proposed plan to cut $2 million will come on top of $2.8 million cut in the past two years. If additional funds are not secured from the state or local tax base this year, the district likely will face the prospect of cutting another $2.5 for 2006-2007.

A positive start

Board members last week greeted the contract settlements with enthusiasm and appreciation.

Board President Bill Bresin said the positive step started with the superintendent who also agreed to a pay freeze in the next school year.

ìIt starts from the top,î Bresin said. ìThis is something he (Steenblock) didnít have to do.î

Board member Karen Morehead agreed, saying she hoped this action would build with other employee groups as a way to save money in 2005-2006 and avoid employee cuts.

By agreeing to the wage freeze in the next school year, the employee units will protect their respective units from staff cuts in the first year of the pact. The district is yet to obtain like agreement with its teachers and other employee bargaining units.

Steenblock, who recommended the board action last week, said the freeze was one attempt to ìdo something differentlyî in the budget process.

With 85 percent of the district budget tied to staff, he said there is no ìfluffî left to cut. ìThere is nothing to cut ó just bodies,î Steenblock said.

Superintendent

The memorandum of understanding with Steenblock will keep his annual pay at $125,000 for 2005-2006, the same as his wage in 2004-2005. His wage was slated to increase to $128,000 on July 1.

His car allowance will also be frozen at its 2004-2005 rate for the next school year, $566.50 a month.

A pay-for-performance bonus for next year will remain at a maximum $7000 and not increase to a maximum of $8500 as agreed in the original contract. The bonus is determined by an evaluation of the boardís staff welfare committee.

In December, the board committee agreed to a 90 percent bonus payment to Steenblock for the 2003-2004 school year. He was awarded $4950 from the maximum amount of $5500 as stated in his contract based on job performance and goals.

Other contracts

The new contracts for directors, principals and supervisors does not call for a pay freeze in the second year of the new contract, just the first year.

While the five directors will earn no additional pay in the first year of the contract, they were awarded a 2.694 percent benefit increase for salary improvement in 2006-2007.

An increased district payment for health insurance will amount to .622 percent in the first year and .108 percent in the second year. The total two-year increase in benefits and wages is 3.424 percent.

The salaries for the director of business affairs, director of administration and human resources and director of special education will remain at $111,283 in the first year, the same as the salary in 2004-2005. For 2006-2007, the four employees will see a salary increase to $114,366.

The director of community services will remain at $97,279 for the 2005-2006 year and see an increase to $99,974 in the 2006-2007 school year.

The new contract for the principal impacts seven secondary principals, eight elementary principals and the senior high school activities director.

The principalís union, after the wage freeze starting July 1, will see a 2.701 percent salary hike on July 1, 2006. Insurance contributions by the district will increase .694 percent in year one and .175 percent in year two for a total two-year contract increase of 3.57 percent.

In addition to base salary, principals will maintain a maximum pay-for-performance bonus of $3000 a year as determined by higher levels of the administration.

The top salary in the unit, the high school principalís slot, will be paid $106,545 in 2005-2006, unchanged from 2004-2005. The salary will increase to $109,496 in 2006-2007.

At the low end of the union pay scale is the activities director. The salary for the position will remain at $88,603 starting on July 1 before increasing to $91,057 on July 1, 2006.

The agreement last week will provide the seven supervisory employees a two-year total package increase of 4.741 percent.

It includes no pay increases in year one and a 2.667 percent improvement in salary in year two. Health insurance benefits will increase by 1.396 percent in year one and .678 percent in year two.

The top salary in the group is $59,880 which increases to $61,539 July 1, 2006, for information systems, food service, transportation and building grounds supervisory slots. Accounting, aquatics and ice arena supervisors are paid at lower rates, with the ice arena job at 40 weeks a year compensated at $41,281 in 2005-2006 and $42,424. The accounting and aquatics positions are at $56,775 and $58,348 for the two years.

Supervisors are also eligible to receive a maximum of $2700 for pay for performance in the 2005-2006 school year as determined by the evaluation of the supervising director.

Last weekís board votes also included approval of the required resolutions for structural balance on each employee group that indicate the settlements are within budget parameters and ability to pay.

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