Welcome to the Adminosphere

It's that time of year again, when the board starts discussing raises for the administrators and Admin Support. Recall that "policy" is for administrators to receive the percentage increase that the teachers (SPEA) received in the prior year. As some of them would say, then, they are entitled to a 3.8% raise.

The 28 administrators earn a cumulative total of $2,500,000 in 2009-10. 3.8% of that comes to about $95,000. Ka-chiiiing!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

The 21 administrators for which we have 2009-10 raise information received a whopping cumulative increase of $88,128! That's an average of $ 4,197 EACH per year!

Raise your hand if you received anything CLOSE to that as a raise this year. How about a loud raspberry if you LOST salary this year. We thought so.

21 Administrators

$88,128 in annual salary increases.

Raises as much as $6,050 per year!

And collectively going all "boo-hoo" on us at the thought (GASP!) of having their wages cut by ONE day via a 1-day furlough.

And what is it they want the school board to cut? Hmm?
Ferris Bueller? Anyone?
It's up to the school board to stop the madness at the meeting tonite.
We're sunk.

"3.8%" Package Increase Means Average 4.9% Salary Increase

You'll recall that the administration group graciously declined their "full merited compensation increase" and instead asked that the deal be capped at 3.8%.

[insert forlorn-sounding violin sequence]

So finally we know how that all translated into salary increases. Because you SHOULD know by now that a "package" increase amount usually translates to a much higher salary increase. But the district/board would prefer you not understand that.
So...here you have it...the actual raises received. Nice, huh?

Athletic Director Jim McClowry and Director of Food Service Renee Slotten-Beauchamp hit the jackpot with respective raises of 7.5% and 7.2%.

You'll see that Dr. Culver is at the bottom as he requested that he receive no raise. Funny...he still shows an increase!

The average raise received was 4.9%. At the bottom (excluding Culver)was Chad Wiedmeyer, Principal of Bird Elementary, who received only a 2.4% raise.

Hmmm. Historically, all salary dollars allocated for raises are placed in a "pot", and the amount of raise one receives is based on the result of their annual performance review. And Culver makes these determinations. Could this be an indication that Wiedmeyer has accumulated too many trips to Culver's woodshed?

7 administrators received raises of at least 5.0%.
It definitely cannot suck to be a member of the SPASD Administration.

Admin Support vs. Dept. of Labor Statistics

Ok...so simply put, here's the issue.

Many of the 30 "Administrative Support" positions have parallels outside of the high-priced world of school districts. SOME school district--a leader perhaps-- has to finally take a stand and re-evaluate these positions.

A simple check of the US Department of Labor Statistics website can provide median and mean salary data across the nation, or even just for a given position and state.

The following comparisons are taken directly from the May 2008 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Wisconsin. It's likely a safe bet that wages have not increased significantly since that a year ago May. Food for thought, school board members.
..............................................
Program Managers (Special Ed. and Instructional Services)
We have 10 employees classified at this level.
Current salary ranges: $39.29 to $45.52 per hour (1680 hr/yr positions
Proposed salary ranges: $41.21 to $46.63 per hour
Proposed raises: $1.11 to $2.90 (3.1 to 7.2%)
Compare to: Education Administrators, All Other. Median salary: $30.50/hr.
..............................................
Business Services Manager
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
2007-08 salary: $31.72 per hour
Current salary: $34.22 per hour (2080 hr/yr positions)
Proposed salary: $36.43 per hour
Proposed raise: $2.21 (6.5%)
Compare to: Business and Financial Operations, General. Median salary: $24.72/hr.
..............................................
Communications Specialist
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $23.39 per hour (1462 hr/yr positions)
Proposed salary: $25.10 per hour → %26.19/hr on 7/1/10
Proposed raise: $1.71 (7.31%) + $1.09/hr on 7/1/10
Compare to: Media and Communications Workers, All Other. Median salary: $20.66/hr.
Compare to: Writers and Artists. Median salary: $20.48/hr.
Compare to: Technical Writers . Median salary: $25.38/hr.
Note: This position is much less challenging than that of a Technical Writer.
..............................................
District Health Nurse
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $32.67 per hour (2080 hr/yr position)
Proposed salary: $33.98 per hr
Proposed raise: $1.31 (4.01%)
Compare to: Registered Nurse. Median salary: $29.27/hr.
Compare to: Licensed Practical and Vocational Nurses. Median salary: $19.06/hr.
Note: We have no information as to whether the employee is an RN or an LPN.
..............................................
Accountant
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $23.50 per hour (2080 hr/yr position)
Proposed salary: $24.20 per hr
Proposed raise: $0.70 (2.98 %)
Compare to: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks . Median salary: $14.96/hr.
Compare to: Accountants and Auditors. Median salary: $26.48/hr.
Note: We might be missing something, but we don't see this position as equivalent to an accountant as in CPA.
..............................................
Custodial Services Night
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $22.79 per hour (2080 hr/yr position)
Proposed salary: $23.60 per hr
Proposed raise: $0.81 (3.55%)
Compare to:
First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers. Median salary: $17.08/hr.
..............................................
District Administrator Secretary
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $21.85 per hour (2080 hr/yr position)
Proposed salary: $22.30 per hr
Proposed raise: $0.45 (2.06 %)
Compare to: Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants. Median salary: $17.49/hr.
..............................................
Administrative Assistant
We have 6 employees classified at this level.
Current salaries: $17.04 (1), $18.72 (1), and $19.27 (4) per hour (2080 hr/yr positions)
Proposed salary: $17.87, 19.31, and $19.80 per hr
Proposed raises: $0.53 to $0.83 per hr (2.75 - 4.87 %)
Compare to: Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants. Median salary: $17.49/hr.
..............................................
Payroll Specialist
We have 1 employee classified at this level.
Current salary: $19.27 per hour (2080 hr/yr position)
Proposed salary: $19.80 per hr
Proposed raise: $0.53 (2.75 %)
Compare to: Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks. Median salary: $16.52/hr.

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We're just sayin'....

Life is good: Admin Support Raise Proposal

In our last episode related to Administrative Support staff pay increases, the school board's HR committee tabled the discussion until its August meeting--but ONLY after district residents voiced concerns [Read: pick and nit and nit and pick] that the information for the meeting had only been made available a couple of hours prior to the meeting.

That leaves about 2 weeks to prepare any comments you'd like the HR committee and board to hear. Speak now...or forever hold your piece.

SP-EYE asked for the complete proposed pay increases per staff member as well as their current salary. There's no real reason to put individual names to the position boxes, although those are certainly available. Some of them you know already.

Remember-- we were only provided with the following at that meeting:

1. a new pay grid,

2. a statement that increases would amount to a "3.8% total compensation package increase", and,

3. The total cost for the 30 employees would be $79,000 for 2009-10, or an average of $2633 per person per year.

Now you have the whole ball of wax with which to make your own assessment. Do these seem reasonable? Did YOU get a 4.3% pay raise for next year?

Note that the only position that did not get a raise (the new PC term is "red-circled") is the Energy Educator Manager. Look...we've "outted" some of the concerns with the whole energy management game in the past, but the question which can't be ignored is this: why is it that out of 30 positions, the ONE that you "red-circle" (freeze their pay) is the ONE position which theoretically saves the district a bundle of money every year? Make sense?

A follow-up question: if that position is so overpaid relative to the comparison districts, why did Admin and the board approve the pay grade initially? As a member of the $100K club, shouldn't we expect our HR manager to establish more reasonable salaries than that? And if the answer to that question is, "No"...then what's the chance that these other positions are being overpaid as well?

As always, click on the graphic images to obtain a larger, higher resolution image.

Recession-Proof

While the rest of the world, country, state, and county continue to struggle with mounting unemployment (now just shy of 10%), layoffs/furloughs/wage cuts, and foreclosures, at least we sit secure in the recession-proof Sunny Prairie school district!!!

At least that's what District Administrator/Super Nintendo Tim Culver desperately needs you to believe...at least until he can get his as yet unseen budget passed and sweet raises for everyone.

Culver was working his mega mojo at the school board meeting Monday night, stating that while other districts such as arch-nemesis [DAMN! They got named top city by Money; we only got Family Circle] Middleton are struggling, "...we're in great financial shape." [SP-EYE...shouldn't that little cheer be followed by a resounding, "naaa naaaa nuh boooo booooo"? ]

Let's summarize how wonderful life is in the Sun Prairie school district.

The teacher's contract is water under the bridge at this point, but those contracts will cost the taxpayers $1.5M this year and another $1.5M next July. That calls for a 4.2% salary increase this year and amounts to a 7.74% increase in salaries and benefits over 2 years. Since salaries and benefits account for over 80% of the annual operating budget, that means the budget will automatically increase by at least 6.0%.

Next up is the administration contracts. The board voted to accept their GRACIOUS offer to reduced their "entitlement" of 4.5% increase to 3.8%.

After that, the plan is to give Admin Support a "3.8% package" increase. Our calculations show that in salary increases alone, that translates to a 4.40% total increase, with at least one individual being awarded a 13% increase.
More little tidbits regarding the Admin Support package that you likely won't hear:

• 17 out of the 30 members of this group will get raises of at least $1.11 per hour
• 12 out of the 30 members of this group will get raises of at least $1.50 per hour
• 3 of the 30 members of this group (10%) will see raises of over $2.00 per hour ($2.14, $2.21, $2.90)
• The "Business Services Manager", who received a $2.50 per hour raise LAST July, will get a raise of $2.21 per hour effective THIS July. That's a $10,000 per year raise in ONE year's time!
  
• 10 of the 30 members of this group are "Program Managers"; each will have a per hour rate of at least $41.21 (max of $46.63). Can you say "top-heavy"?
• The program mangers only work 210 days per year. You and us? We work 2080 hrs/year, which means 260 days.

A 3.8% increase is also being offered to the Substitute Teachers.

Oh wait...we can't bat 1.000...Local 60 is stuck with 3.25% increases.

Dr. Culver has asked for a 0% increase. Geee...do you think the board will feel bad and give him one anyway? I mean...afterall...what's $5500 on top of a $70,000,000 general budget...right?

Property tax bills will also bear the brunt of the rest of the $100M borrowed for the high school construction.

The cost of the 4K program will be heavily borne this year, as we only get state aid for 1/3 of the kids this year. And enrollment hadn't reached projections when we last checked. Oh, and the plan was to operate the program at about a $600K loss this year. That would be what's known as a positive liability, sports fans.

Oh...and word on the street that the exodus of students from Sun Prairie, at least at the elementary level (where our growth has been coming from) outweighs the expected inodus [OK...that' not really a word; we just made that up...but it sounds cool, n'est ce pas?]. Less bodies means less state aid (which is already being cut). Less state aid means more has to come from property taxes.

Does anyone else think it's nuts to be talking raises at all??
Only fringe board member David Stackhouse had the intestinal fortitude to make a motion that furlough days be included to cut the costs. NONE of the other board members would second that motion. So...you know how things are goin'...right?

How long will the school board continue to write checks that the taxpayers can't cash?

So...Dr. Culver...you who keep chanting how great SPASD is because we tax below the allowable limit (like 20% of the districts, right Dr. C?]....so how long do you project that we'll continue to tax below the ceiling...like is that little feather in your cap just about macaroni tight now?


Oh...and McSeaBass? We're sure we're probably just making these numbers say whatever we want. So we anxiously await your explanation of how all these numbers should be properly reviewed using your new McFilet o' Math.