Revisions include compensation adjustments, alignment to contracts of other employee groups
(July 10, 2014) The Westerville City School District (WCSD) Board of Education yesterday approved revisions to employment guidelines for the district’s Administrators and Administrative Approved Staff (AAS). Administrative Guidelines specify terms and conditions of employment for building principals, assistant principals, high school athletic directors and district office administration. AAS Guidelines primarily apply to district office support staff such as administrative secretaries, computer technicians and other job classifications that do not belong to a union. The agreements remain subject to change at the Board’s discretion and associated costs of all revisions are within the five-year financial forecast.
Administrative Guidelines, which will be in effect through July 31, 2016, include an annual 3 percent base pay increase (the Administrator Salary Schedule does not include steps). The Board also took action to ensure that no employees were being compensated below the minimum salary for their job classification. Other guideline revisions include clarification on severance calculations and the elimination of expense allowances as those amounts are now incorporated into employee salaries. For certificated administrators in the State Teacher Retirement System (STRS), the Board has adjusted from 11 percent to 13 percent its “pickup on the pickup” for retirement costs. The Board will pay Medicare costs for classified administrators who are not in STRS.
AAS Guidelines, which will be in effect through July 31, 2018, include an annual 3 percent base pay increase and steps per the salary schedule. Employees who receive an Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in a related field will earn training credit. The guidelines also provide clarification on severance calculations and address requirements of the national Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA). Employees who work less than 30 hours per week will not be eligible to purchase Board-offered health insurance. The Board will pick up Medicare costs and employees will receive a one-time, $200 payment for changes associated with the AHCA. Most changes to the AAS Guidelines are comparable to those recently made to the negotiated agreements of WCSD’s non-teaching employee associations.
“While the length of this agreement provides employees some long-term security in regard to compensation, it also provides the Board with stability regarding its impact on the five-year forecast,” explained Superintendent John Kellogg, Ed.D. “We ensured the total compensation for both sets of guidelines aligns with assumptions in the forecast and is within parameters we’ve set to keep the district on track with its financial projections.”
Board of Education President Dr. Nancy Nestor-Baker expressed appreciation for the work performed by these employees and their generosity the past several years as the Board worked to restore financial stability to the district.
“These are non-unionized employees, so we do not have a negotiated agreement with them. We have employment guidelines that can be changed whenever and however necessary,” Nestor-Baker explained. “These employees are always the first to give back during difficult financial times. They truly lead by example.”
Nestor-Baker said administrators and administrative approved staff had step increases eliminated from their salary schedule, worked the past four years under a true salary freeze and made other concessions that helped reduce the district’s personnel expenses.
“They continue to pay increased amounts for health insurance, coupled with reduced contributions by the board,” Nestor-Baker said. “There’s simply no way to overemphasize how much we appreciate their leadership and professionalism, particularly during the difficult times, as evidenced the past several years.”
Kellogg said that during the upcoming 2014-15 school year he will convene a team consisting of himself, board members, administrators and the treasurer to examine performance-based compensation plans that could be used to replace the current administrative pay structure.