Post by title1parent on Jun 22, 2010 5:57:09 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=389328&src=76
Dist. 204 board freezes salary
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 6/22/10
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 officials put on a clinic Monday night, on the value of their word.
Keeping their word to their 2,100-member teachers union and the community, board members unanimously approved a pay freeze for 72 administrators at a savings of about $70,000. Then, within minutes, they doled out an approximate 1 percent increase to 13 elementary school principals, totaling $56,000.
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Nancy Valenta said the adjustment to 13 elementary principals salaries was the second phase of a two-phase plan launched in 2008 to keep the district's salaries competitive. The first phase gave the group approximately a 4 percent increase in 2008.
"We've waited until we saw that we actually had a little bit of a budget to carry out the second phase," Valenta said. "The rationale is the comparison data that we've gotten from our comparable districts and we're falling out of value. So what we're bringing is the very least that we think we need to do to hold some kind of marker in the position."
A series of confidential, internal human relations department memos shared with the Daily Herald following Monday night's meeting, however, indicate the bump was part of a deal struck between former Superintendent Stephen Daeschner and the principals after several new administrators were brought into the district in 2008 at higher salaries than the district was paying its current employees.
With board member Alka Tyle not in attendance, the board voted 4-2 to approve the second phase. Christine Vickers and Dawn DeSart objected to following through with the plan.
"I do not find the rationale presented for these retroactive increases substantiates the need for the increases themselves," Vickers said. "Retroactive to the 2009-2010 school year we asked our staff to support our austerity position, so to stay in line with that thought process I would not support this."
DeSart said the move flies in the face of the district's other austerity-related cuts, including the freeze given to administrators Monday night.
"Stakeholders should know the adjustments are being adjusted upward which I think at this time of austerity is not something we should do, especially after we just approved a freeze for administrators," DeSart said.
Currently the district is facing a $21.4 million deficit next year, which it has plugged by releasing staff, cutting programs and nonessential items. The district is also owed nearly $14 million from the state.
Calls and e-mails placed to Board President Curt Bradshaw and Valenta after the memos were shared were not returned before press time.
Dist. 204 board freezes salary
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 6/22/10
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 officials put on a clinic Monday night, on the value of their word.
Keeping their word to their 2,100-member teachers union and the community, board members unanimously approved a pay freeze for 72 administrators at a savings of about $70,000. Then, within minutes, they doled out an approximate 1 percent increase to 13 elementary school principals, totaling $56,000.
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Nancy Valenta said the adjustment to 13 elementary principals salaries was the second phase of a two-phase plan launched in 2008 to keep the district's salaries competitive. The first phase gave the group approximately a 4 percent increase in 2008.
"We've waited until we saw that we actually had a little bit of a budget to carry out the second phase," Valenta said. "The rationale is the comparison data that we've gotten from our comparable districts and we're falling out of value. So what we're bringing is the very least that we think we need to do to hold some kind of marker in the position."
A series of confidential, internal human relations department memos shared with the Daily Herald following Monday night's meeting, however, indicate the bump was part of a deal struck between former Superintendent Stephen Daeschner and the principals after several new administrators were brought into the district in 2008 at higher salaries than the district was paying its current employees.
With board member Alka Tyle not in attendance, the board voted 4-2 to approve the second phase. Christine Vickers and Dawn DeSart objected to following through with the plan.
"I do not find the rationale presented for these retroactive increases substantiates the need for the increases themselves," Vickers said. "Retroactive to the 2009-2010 school year we asked our staff to support our austerity position, so to stay in line with that thought process I would not support this."
DeSart said the move flies in the face of the district's other austerity-related cuts, including the freeze given to administrators Monday night.
"Stakeholders should know the adjustments are being adjusted upward which I think at this time of austerity is not something we should do, especially after we just approved a freeze for administrators," DeSart said.
Currently the district is facing a $21.4 million deficit next year, which it has plugged by releasing staff, cutting programs and nonessential items. The district is also owed nearly $14 million from the state.
Calls and e-mails placed to Board President Curt Bradshaw and Valenta after the memos were shared were not returned before press time.