Administrative salaries, non-teaching wages also approved
The Greene County board of education approved contracts for 2014-15 for administrators and classified (non-teaching) staff at a special meeting April 30.
Most administrators received the same salary increase as teachers – 3.86 percent. The increase of the total package (salary and benefits) to the district is 3.36 percent. Superintendent Tim Christensen received a significant increase for the current year as he assumed the duties of East Greene superintendent following the retirement of Mike Harter. He requested no increase in salary for 2014-15, and the board obliged.
Classified staff received similar increases in pay, with a total cost to the general fund of $69,987. Pay increases for the nutrition staff will roll into the nutrition fund. The board anticipates increasing the cost of school meals for the next school year, not due to the wage increase, but to meet a state mandate for incremental cost increases to make the program more self-sufficient locally.
The board also approved Teacher Leadership positions for 2014-15. The district is one of 39 districts statewide to receive funding in the first year of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation program. The Greene County district will receive $404,000 in additional state funding next year to implement the program.
Teachers in the program are as follows:
Instructional coaches – out of classroom, @$10,000 (in addition to salary) – Shannon Hansen, elementary; Brenda Onken, intermediate/middle school; Pat Johansen, high school; and Julie Neal, district wide reading.
Mentor teachers – in classroom half-time, @$5,000 – Lisa Wilkins, elementary; Rhonda Baker, intermediate; Tammy Mohr, middle school; Dale Smith, high school.
Curriculum leaders – in classroom fulltime, @$2,000 – LeAnna Ausberger, Kathy Dobney, Stormy Fish, Julie Kennedy, and one yet to be identified.
Model teachers – in classroom fulltime, will be observed often by other teachers, @$2,000 – LeAnna Ausberger, Audrey Hinote, Ann Ostendorf, JoAnn Rasmussen and Carly Tiffany-Brown, elementary; Maleea Gannon, Connie Hoffman and Annette Meier, intermediate; Tom Braun and Tammy Brophy, middle school; and Launa Buxton, Donna Carhill, Diane Kunzler, Debra Marquardt and Mavis Sawhill, high school.
Total cost of the additional stipends and associated employment taxes is $116,580. The remaining TLC funding will cover the cost of teachers to replace those taken out of the classroom. That includes new hires to replace teachers who become instructional coaches or mentors, and substitutes for when teachers are in other classrooms observing. ~GreeneCountyNewsOnline
