Contracts for school, region at BOE meeting

LAKEVILLE — The Board of Education unanimously approved a new three-year contract with Salisbury Central School teachers at the regular monthly meeting Monday, Nov. 26.The contract, which runs from the 2013-14 school year to the 2015-16 school year, has a 3 percent raise in the first year, and a 2.2 percent raise in the two succeeding years.The stipends for coaches are: soccer, $1,850 in the first year, $1,891 in the second year and $1,932 in the third year; basketball, $1,998, $2,042 and $2,087; baseball and softball, $1,457, $1,490 and $1,552.Teachers will receive overnight compensation of $50 per night for the Nature’s Classroom trip and the eighth-grade class trip.For insurance, teachers will pay 13.5 percent in the first year, 14 percent in the second year and 15 percent in the third year of the high-deductible health plan, which is the base plan. Those who opt for the more expensive Preferred Provider Plan will be responsible for the difference between what the board pays for the high-deductible health plan.The board voted unanimously to add additional insurance coverage — through the town’s insurance plan — for emergency resources such as temporary classrooms in case of storm damage to the main school buildings.Board Chairman Brian Bartram said the matter had been passed to the board by the Board of Selectmen, as the additional coverage would affect the school only. Currently the policy provides for $100,000 of coverage; $250,000 of coverage could be had for an additional $187, to be paid by the Board of Education.Bartram asked the board for input on how to handle Region One administrative contracts, a touchy subject in recent years. The question was two-fold: should the contracts for administrators be structured similarly to teachers’ contracts, with dates and salaries established ahead of time; and should the region change the way the superintendent is evaluated.Region One has traditionally given administrators three-year contracts, with one-year extensions (including salary and benefit adjustments). This practice has come under fire in the last two years, from the public and from elected officials.The “instrument” used to evaluate the superintendent has also been criticized as inadequate.Board of Ed Vice Chair Jennifer Weigel said she thought the current instrument — a worksheet — is “not always easy to answer, and it’s not as complete as it could be.”The board had two possible replacements to look at, and agreed by consensus that either one of the two would be an improvement.And the board liked the idea of a three-year contract. Bartram said, “I favor the three-year contract. Get it out on the table and be done with it.”Scooter Tedder, Salisbury’s Region One representative, said he was leaning toward the three-year contract as well.So by consensus, the board agreed on a three-year contract model and a change in the superintendent’s evaluation procedure. Bartram took that opinion to the All Board Chairs meeting Nov. 28.