SPECIAL POST: COPY OF EVSC SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT

1. And now everyone who thinks professional people should be paid no more than $10/hour will comment about how people don’t “deserve” these salaries. Whatever!

2. For a body that is supposed to be nonpartisan, the EVSC is awfully election conscious. Kiefer thought he could intimidate the Teamsters and keep from having opposition by not signing the contract until after time for candidates to file, and the Board doesn’t want to disclose salaries until after the election. That makes me wonder what they are trying to hide.

3. Please, please, please, for STUDENTS, parents, families, custodians, bus drivers, secretaries, para-professionals, principals, and teachers, VOTE FOR JAN STRICKLIN FOR SCHOOL BOARD.

   #92 on the ballot

4. Anyone add up all these salaries to get a total of how much they spend on Administrative people in EVSC? It’s got to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. That is a lot of money.

   Teachers make how much a year when starting out?

5. Here’s a story the Courier ran about the original contract for David Smith:

   EVANSVILLE – David Smith’s first three-year contract as Evansville’s public school superintendent resembles that of his immediate predecessor, Vincent Bertram, with one key exception.

   Smith’s annual base salary is $160,000, the same amount Bertram received upon his hire in 2007. He also gets a $20,000 annual annuity payment and a $750 monthly vehicle allowance.

   But Smith, unlike Bertram, has a pair of one-year extensions built into the contract following its first and second years, provided the School Board is pleased with his performance.

   The board on Monday approved the contract negotiated by Smith and Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. attorney Patrick Shoulders in a 5-0 vote. Karen Ragland, who cast the only vote last month against Smith’s hire as superintendent, was absent due to her attendance at a professional conference for educators in Las Vegas.

   Board member Patricia Swanson missed Monday’s meeting because of a medical issue.

   Shoulders described the contract negotiation as seamless. He said he was directed by the board to work out a deal with Smith similar to Bertram’s.

   Although Ragland was not present, she asked Shoulders to read a statement from her saying she preferred Smith receive $140,000 in his first year with $10,000 increases upon successful completion of the subsequent two years.

   Ragland cited the National Center for Educational Statistics, which shows the national average for superintendent salaries is $140,000, with the upper 10 percent averaging $195,374.

   She said another organization, the American Association of School Administrators, reported an average superintendent salary nationally at $155,634, with a Midwest average of $137,813

   Smith’s benefits package is the same as those of other EVSC administrators, although his contract does include payment of a term life insurance policy worth $500,000, along with the option to buy the same term life insurance available for other administrators.

   Also Monday, the School Board approved members of Smith’s administrative circle.

   Susan McDowell Riley was named deputy superintendent for academic affairs and accountability. Her current duties involve oversight of assessment and research, and Smith said it makes sense to marry those roles with academic affairs.

   Dan Ulrich, whose new title is chief academic officer, will work in conjunction with Riley, Smith said.

   Ulrich has been with the school district since 1978, and most recently he was director of career and technical education. He takes the position vacated by David Dimmett, who is leaving EVSC to take an administrative job with Project Lead the Way.

   Smith’s former position overseeing the school district’s budget and human resources operation is being filled by Pat Tuley, who has been the school district’s operations director.

   Other appointments:

   * Chief Technology Officer Stacy Mauser succeeds the retired Mike Russ.

   * Early Childhood Education Director Erin Ramsey succeeds Valerie Bostick, who took a position out of state.

   * Washington Middle School Principal Jay Hille succeeds the retired Rance Ossenberg.
   ***************

   I think it is worth noting that the School Board shirked its duty to the public and delegated the contract negotiation to their attorney, Mr. Shoulders. On top of that, the president of the Board was Bix Branson, who did not live in the district he represented. He’s playing it safe this time, and running At-Large, so he doesn’t get confused about what district he lives in.

   More importantly, when you compare the information in Link #2 above, it appears that the Superintendent has not had a raise since he was hired in 2011, although he was to have the same raises the other administrators got. It appears there is some serious incompetence reflected in the figures reported to CCO in 2014, or there is a conscious effort to conceal the facts from the taxpayers.
   I think it is time for a full audit of EVSC accounts, because there is a mistake at best, or something much worse going on here. I smell a huge rat.

6. “…for you’re viewing…” brilliant!

7. Bits and pieces

   EVSC takes approx. 43% of the property tax that is collected, about $430 per $1000 of tax paid. EVSC appears top heavy with salaries. What percent of that “43%” actually goes to the administration salaries and perks? Is this much different then in the public sector? When you pay your Vectren, AT&T bill, buy merchandise from a store ect., what percentage is going to the administration and stockholders? A person may be surprise what percentage on “anything” you pay for goes into this group. Taxes paid is no trump card over anything else that you pay, the dollar value are the same!

8. “THIS ARTICE WAS POSTED WITHOUT BIAS OR OPINON.”

   Apparently also without proofreading.

9. The EVSC Superintendent’s contract is posted on the EVSC website and has been for years. There was no need to file a Freedom of Information Act request for this – but the EVSC was happy to comply.

   In regard to administrative costs – you should be aware that for every $1 spent in 2006 out of Central Office, the EVSC now spends 48 cents. (This is based on information gathered in the MGT study many years ago) Quite a reduction. Many positions where individuals have left, have gone unfilled. You should not be trying to make a negative story where there is none.

   • I don’t think the Superintendent’s contract is what the publisher filed a FOIA request for. It was for salary information. I really wonder why there is such hesitancy to share the information about how the taxpayers’ money is spent with them. I also know that the news of your own nearly very generous – $90,000 – salary was very difficult to find. That is pretty good for writing news releases. I doubt the young reporters at the local news outlets do that well.
     I know for a fact that recently I called and asked for some information and was given answers that proved to be wrong. Distribution of erroneous information is even worse than just refusing to give any information, in my opinion. You’re right about not making a negative story where there is none, but I believe there is a negative story here that is being buried by a very highly paid “good news only” PR person.
     If everything is so transparent, where are the 2015 salaries, Ms. Jackson?

10. Its no secret that the EVSC is a prime example of a bloated administration. I think its disgraceful the amount of money that the school system burns through with their open check mentality. The entire board needs to replaced because they have failed the parents of this county. With several schools not receiving passing grades and the constant barrage of fees, it makes their current spending levels and per student cost of education a hard pill to swallow.

11. ‘Director of Performance Management’ ? $ 89,760.

    If you are directing performance management, shouldn’t there be some measurement of that ?

    Performing against what standard or benchmark ? Any comparison at all, or any definition of what ‘performance management’ actually means ?

    (cricket sound)

12. The corruption of the City of Evansville and its trading partner, EVSC, is simply unbelievable.

    During the building of the Ford Center, the Evansville Redevelopment Authority approved $ 1.7 Million of Ford Center funds to be paid for the ‘New North High School’. Why ? In the meantime, both entities were receiving ‘Build America Bonds’ from the Federal Government. Why did the City receive the EVSC’s Build America Bond rebate ? Look at the Ford Center Review performed by SBOA. Notice that the SBOA would not name the other party (EVSC) to whom those funds were returned.

    If you think there was not an SBOA Whitewash of the City’s 2012 Audit, then you better go read the Ford Center Review and connect the dots, pal.

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