January 28, 2014 Board Meeting

As always, these are my opinions only and not the opinions of the Pendleton County School Board or any other individual board members.

 

I was pleased to see the issue of a student board member discussed at this meeting.  The School Board administration compiled the policies of several school districts in Northern Kentucky that utilize student members.  The Board expressed interest in a policy proposal and a subcommittee was formed to begin this process.  Hopefully this will become an adopted policy.

 

The single action item of this meeting was the salary (or index) and classified category type (A or B) of the new administration position of Director – Buildings and Grounds.  It is baffling to me that a Board of Directors or Board of Education could vote to establish a new or upgraded position and not define the pay structure of that position until a later vote.  This position was upgraded from “Maintenance Supervisor” at our October meeting.  Now in a January meeting we finally address the issue of compensation and pension benefit.   Our school administration proposed that this position be moved from a category “B” classified position to a category “A” classified position.  These pay scales are posted on the district web site.  In order to find the salary of this position, take the correct position on the scale and multiply by the “index” or multiplier.  This multiplier accounts for increased days worked, responsibility, credentials, etc.  The current position is a classified category “B” scale multiplied by the current index of 2.19.  The district Financial Officer proposed moving the position to the classified “A” scale with a proposed “index” or multiplier of 1.56.  According to the Kentucky Teacher’s Retirement System office, this is allowed only if the position is redefined to require either (1) a teaching certificate or (2) a 4 year degree.  The other major provision of this switch is that the employee changes from the Kentucky Retirement System (KRS) to the Kentucky Teacher’s Retirement System (KTRS).  The KRS is the same system that applies to other public sector state and county employees.  KTRS applies to teachers and a small percentage of school employees in positions with the degree or teaching certificate requirement.  One benefit to the district of this switch is that the KTRS funding is carried more by the employee (12%) than KRS funding (0%).  Kentucky taxpayers pay about 14% of KTRS funding versus Pendleton County taxpayers (Pendleton County School District) paying about 19% of KRS funding.  The administration proposal emphasized this savings.  Based on what report you read, both state pension funds are estimated to be below 60% funding by the Commonwealth.

 

The bottom line boils down to a combination of process and dollars.  The process involves voting on a new position and its compensation in separate meetings.  I do not support this way of doing business.  It resembles driving a new car off the lot without reading the sticker price.  The dollars part of the argument is that this administration claims it needs about $60,000/yr to fill this position with the right person.  That salary is close to the top end of the current classified category “B” scale when multiplied by the index of 2.19 (in between years 21 and 22).  A similar dollar amount is near the bottom, or year three of the “A” scale when using the proposed multiplier of 1.56.  In my opinion, this change would be a nearly irreversible one.  It would be very difficult to downgrade the position with the current administration. It could be argued that this change costs another teacher (or part of one) in the classroom.  This extra expense doesn’t fall in the place that helps our current educational crisis.  For these two reasons, I voted against the proposal.  It passed 4-1.