The RE-1 Valley School Board took care of a number of salary related issues at a special meeting Monday.
While many of the items had been brought to the board’s attention previously during presentations by Glenn Gustafson, who has been helping the district with its finances on an ex-officio basis, they had not yet taken official action on them as they first needed to see if the district would be able to balance its budget for next year.
Among the items approved were paraprofessional and food service salary schedules, both of which are very similar with the only difference being contract days and both include a 3.5% cost of living adjustment; a 3.5% pay increase for classified staff; and increasing substitute teacher pay from $135 to $140 for certified teachers and from $115 to $120 for non-certified teachers.
Ronda Monheiser shared that she called neighboring school districts to see what their substitute rates were and RE-1’s current rates only fall below Julesburg. While some use three rates, she suggested RE-1 stay with the two-tiered system for now “due to the fact that there is so much going on” and increase the amount paid for both to keep the consistency of the 3.5% COLA. Monheiser also pointed out that one neighboring district offers $100 a day and a free hot lunch and suggested RE-1 should try to be creative like that.
While there was no classified salary schedule approved, it was noted that there already is a salary schedule in place for those employees, but there wasn’t enough time to review it this year. It will be reviewed and potentially revised next year for the 2023-24 contract year.
The board tabled a pay increase and new salary schedule for principals and assistant principals, because the district is considering bringing back separate positions for high school and elementary principals at Caliche School instead of having a one K-12 principal, as has been the case for the past several years. According to Interim Superintendent Ron Marostica the reason this is being considered is because right now the K-12 assistant principal, Jamie Johnstone, is basically doing the duties that an elementary principal would be doing.
Individuals asking the district to consider moving back to two principals will bring their proposal to the board’s Monday, May 23 meeting.
Marostica told the board interviews of candidates to fill the principal position, following the resignation of Dave Eastin, went off flawlessly Monday and a decision should be made soon about who to hire. There were six high quality candidates interviewed and all candidates were made aware that there are two possibilities, the district may stick with one K-12 principal or appoint an elementary principal and a high school principal.
“I think Caliche’s going to come out in great shape,” Marostica said.
The board also did not take action on a request for new positions and changes in responsibility of existing positions, because according to Steve Shinn the proposal was not right for determination at this point.
Prior to considering action on the item, Shinn and Monheiser pointed these are matters that should come before the board and be approved by the board, and they are trying to get back in compliance with policy.
“It just helps build a sound environment when these policies are followed,” Monheiser said.
She asked the board members if there are certain questions they would like answered when being asked to approve a new position of changes in responsibilities. Board members said they would like to know why the position is necessary, what that the person’s job responsibilities will be, the fiscal impact, any other impacts or consequences it will create and if it will affect other positions, as well as how the position is intended to impact student success.
Joel McCracken suggested there needs to be a proper proposal submitted to the board to start the process.
Shinn asked about emergency situations during COVID that changed the process. Marostica said that since things have returned to a more normal state, those positions that were required during the height of the pandemic have gone away.
He pointed out that it certainly wasn’t anyone’s agenda to not follow policy, but it was not followed all the time by the previous two superintendents and so everyone just got out of practice. Marostica said bringing this information to the board is not a hardship and it’s something that administrators welcome.
Heather Harris asked what happens if a position has been created and it was not approved by the board. Shinn said some things you can’t go back and retroactively address, so they will have to stay as they are, but going forward if after awhile someone is not involved in following the process then it calls for changes.
“The first thing to do is to get back on track from this point forward and then figure out what things may not have been taken through the proper channels in making a decision and find out what our options are,” he said. “At some point, you draw a line and say, okay, we can’t control what’s happened, but we can from this point forward figure where we’re at.”
Monheiser noted there’s probably a little catch-up they can do on anything that there’s not a contract for now that would be a new contract for fall. But decisions on new positions need to be made soon, so that they can be filled by the time school resumes.
In other business, the board approved revised graduation requirements for the 2022 and 2023 graduating classes. Marostica explained these revised requirements are needed to address a problem with concurrent enrollment and ensuring students have enough credits to graduate. He said the crux of the problem was a change in credit for history classes at Northeastern Junior College that didn’t match what RE-1 had been doing for years and was very solid.
Marostica and Sterling High School Principal Cindy Lystad communicated with every single parent in written form as well as phone calls to address the problem.
Additionally, the board approved the Sterling Middle School lighting project for a maximum cost of $90,000. David Portenier, chief financial officer, said when the project will start depends on when the supplies are able to get in and funds will be paid as the work is being done, not all at once, due to supply chain issues.
Shinn pointed out there have been conversations about improving the lighting for quite some time now, it was not something the district just decided on doing because it was able to find a surplus in next year’s budget.
“It was time for us to do something, it’s just getting darker and darker,” Marostica said.
Under the consent agenda, the board approved the resignations of Eastin and Kimberly Lewis-Bruce, kitchen manager at Campbell Elementary.
Later, they approved the retirement of Peg Hershfeldt, administrative assistant to Marostica, with a transition year next year. Shinn commended Hershfeldt for her many years of service to RE-1, “she goes way beyond what most anyone would expect,” he said, adding that no matter what the task her attitude is always, “we’ll get it done” and that’s what she does.
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