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Hernando Today
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No Raises For School Administrators
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Published: February 5, 2009
BROOKSVILLE - The school district's principals and other administrators won't get raises this year after all.
A majority of the school board on Tuesday voted against a 1.8 percent salary increase for administrators, which includes 71 principals, assistant principals and other staffers. The raise would have cost the district just more than $94,000.
A few minutes later, the board unanimously approved a 1.8 percent raise for 145 professional and technical employees. That will cost $111,000.
The vote against the administrator salary hikes was a change of heart for two board members who had voiced support for the increases at a workshop last month. During the workshop, Superintendent Wayne Alexander urged the board to approve the raises, acknowledging it wasn't a large increase but touting the "symbolic" value.
Board member James Yant said Tuesday he was swayed to change his mind after seeing a petition with the names of a dozen administrators and five other employees who said they'd refuse the raise "in the hope this may eliminate or reduce the need to cut staff," according to the petition.
Yant said he wondered how many other administrators would have signed the petition but did not for fear of "retaliation," though he didn't say who he thought might retaliate.
Board member Pat Fagan also said the petition helped change his mind.
"We weren't given all the information to make a wise decision," Fagan said.
Members John Sweeney and Sandra Nicholson voted for the raises.
Nicholson pointed out the raises had already been included in the budget, and she voiced concern about giving salary increases to some district employees and not others.
The board has already approved a 2.4 percent raise for teachers.
"I have a hard time saying yes to this group and no to another group," Nicholson said.
Board Chairwoman Dianne Bonfield voiced opposition to the administrator raises at last month's workshop - before she found out about the petition - and repeated her reasoning Tuesday night.
Most administrators make more than $60,000 per year and are better able to handle a year without a raise, Bonfield reasoned.
This latest round of raises would have meant an average of $600 more for each administrator this year, but taken in sum the $94,000 equates to a few lower-paying positions.
"If several employees' jobs could be saved, it would be priceless," Bonfield said.
The district will still cover a 1.5 percent increase in insurance costs for administrators, the same deal the teachers and professional and technical employees received.
Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.
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