GC school board approves staff compensation package for 2021-22
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GLENWOOD CITY — The Board of Education for the Glenwood City School District approved a new staff compensation package for the 2021-22 school year at its April 26 meeting.
The new compensation package which had been discussed at several recent meetings met with unanimous approval during that evening’s regular meeting which included newly-elected member Jodi Main.
Superintendent Tim Johnson had presented the board with comparable compensations for various positions from Dunn-St. Croix conference member schools at a previous meeting. With a few exceptions, Glenwood City was in the medium to higher end of employee compensation.
The new pay schedule affects all of the district’s employees be they hourly, teaching staff, bus drivers or salaried.
According to the package that was approved and goes into effect on July 1, hourly support staff, which includes administrative assistants, food service workers, custodians and instructional aides, will receive an additional 35 cents per hour to the payment schedule for the next school year with and additional 35 cent step for a successful year of experience.
Johnson told the board that most hourly employees would be seeing a 70 cent per hour increase which averages out to an increase of around 4.15 percent.
Teaching staff members would have an additional $600 added to each cell along with being awarded a step with a successful year of experience which would equate to about a 2.7 percent increase.
Currently, bus drivers, who Johnson reminded board members were on the lower end of pay among conference schools, are compensated via a base pay rate plus a daily mileage calculator.
Under the new compensation package, the old payment system will be scraped in favor of a set base salary of $17,500 per year for each of the current seven drivers. In addition, drivers will also now be awarded a seniority stipend that will bump up their base pay $250 for every five years of service. Also, the performance pay year-end stipend for driving more than 340 hours of regular routes will be increased from $500 to $1,000. Sub route drivers compensation will remain at $45 per run.
Johnson said that this new schedule for bus drivers represents an overall increase of eight percent.
All other salaried employees which would include administrators and coordinators will be given a 2.5 percent increase.
“It is hard to give an exact amount of the total increase based upon changes in employment positions and the number of hours worked for our hourly folks,” Johnson said to the board.
“However, the salary increases under this compensation package will range between $85,000 to $90,000,” he added.
Johnson also reminded the board that health and dental insurance increases have been capped at seven percent.
The board and Johnson spent a considerable amount of the one-hour committee meeting that precedes each regular board session discussing the model teacher process the district is looking to implement for the next school year.
The subject has been the focus of several committee talks over the past few months.
In essence, the proposed model teacher process would award the highest paid teaching staff based on merit versus longevity.
Johnson has asked the board to move on the proposal by the May 24 meeting so that it can be up and running for the next school year.
During a report by Nicole Brite, Director of Pupil Services and Special Education, it was learned that a Farmers to Families Food Box drive through and pick up was being planned for Friday, May 28 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Glenwood City.
The event will distribute boxes that contain several pounds of produce, meats, dairy products and a gallon of milk. Approximately 1,000 food boxes will be handed out free of charge to any member of the public. The distribution is not income- or need-based.
High school/middle school principal Patrick Gretzlock gave a detailed run down for the final month of the school year which is filled with numerous sporting events and ceremonies from Prom which was held last Saturday, May 1 culminating with commencement on Saturday morning, May 22.
The final day for seniors will be Wednesday, May 19 which will be highlighted by the new tradition of the “Walk of Honor”. Final day for the students will be Friday, May 28.
Gretzlock said that an in-person scholarship awards program will be held Friday, May 21 with graduation to follow the next morning.
Each graduate is being allowed six guests to attend the in-person commencement exercise in the high school gymnasium which begins at 11 a.m.
During its consent agenda, the board approved Tom Stack and Bryce Fayerweather as volunteer high school baseball coaches. It also approved Sunday softball practice for May 29 which is over the Memorial Day weekend and on Sundays, June 13, 20, and 27 as needed to prepare for tournament games the following day (Monday).
Following a closed session, the board reconvened in open session and approved the hiring of Donald Rosenberg III as the high school/middle school science teacher for the 2021-22 school year. Rosenberg is filling the position vacated by the resignation of Dr. Randy Ketola.
It was also learned that the board will hold its annual retreat following a short meeting on Monday, May 24.