Coaching salaries to increase, will reflect percentage of base
Coaching salaries in Holyoke School District Re-1J will see an increase for the 2021-22 school year as approved at the May 18 meeting of the Board of Education.
Rather than an actual dollar amount, coaching salaries were set at a percentage of the base pay for certified staff. As a result, each time the base pay increases, so will the coaching stipends.
For next year, the preliminary budget notes a base pay of $34,856 on the certified staff salary schedule.
Coaching salaries were approved at 10% of the base for head HS coaches, 7% for assistant HS, 6% for head JH, 4.5% for assistant JH, 6% for head boys/girls HS golf, 4.5% for assistant boys/girls HS golf, 8% for head HS/JH cheer, 4.5% for assistant HS/JH cheer if numbers warrant the position, 17% for the athletic trainer, 10% for band/choir/drama directors and 3% for musical assistant.
Coaching salary schedules from several area schools were reviewed for comparison. Board member Dusty Sprague cited that most of the others included a longevity piece, rewarding coaches for multiple years of service. That could be a consideration in the future.
Extra-duty assignments made
Four new-hires were approved on the coaching roster at last week’s meeting. They include Broc Pelle, head HS wrestling; Emily Krogmeier, head HS girls swimming; Colbey Stumpf, head HS boys basketball; and Danielle Brandt, assistant HS girls swimming.
Extra-duty assignments for 2021-22 incorporate the newly-adopted salaries. Stipends approved for coaching positions for the coming year, reflecting the appropriate percentages of the certified staff base salary, include $3,486 for head HS coaches (increase of $384 from current-year stipend) and $2,440 for assistants (increase of $579).
The exception to this is $2,091 for head HS boys golf and head girls golf (increase of $230) and $1,569 for the assistants (increase of $328). Stipends for JH coaches are $2,091 for head positions (increase of $266) and $1,569 for assistants (increase of $328).
Coaches approved at the May 18 meeting include head coach Dusty Sprague, assistants Aaron Sprague, Russ Sprague and Bryan Beckner, HS football; head Michelle Vieselmeyer, assistant Ashley Hoffner, HS volleyball; head Colbey Stumpf, HS boys basketball.
Head John Baumgartner, assistant Kyle Carper, HS girls basketball; head Pelle, assistant Parker Redfern, HS wrestling; head Corey Koberstein, assistants Dani Jablonski and Gina Martin, HS track; head Sherman Kage, assistant Jimmy French, volunteer Marcus Kammer, HS baseball.
Head Kage, assistant Kendra Schlachter, volunteer Alyssa Metzger, HS softball; head Nick Flaa, assistant David Mauler, HS boys golf; head Flaa, assistant Marcia Dalton (splitting the coaching stipends evenly), HS girls golf; head Krogmeier, assistant Brandt, HS girls swimming.
Head Aaron Mosenteen, assistant Dusty McConnell, JH football; head Irene Ortega, assistant Koberstein, JH volleyball; assistant Aaron Sprague, volunteer Marc Weber, JH boys basketball.
Head Koberstein, assistant Ortega, JH girls basketball; head McConnell, JH wrestling; head Martin, assistants Jablonski and Amber Sprague, volunteer Luke Goldenstein, JH track.
Schlachter was also named athletic trainer at $5,926 (increase of $343 from current year), and Beckner was named strength coach at $3,486 (increase of $384).
Coaching positions still needing to be filled include assistant HS boys basketball, head JH boys basketball, assistant JH wrestling, volunteer HS football and volunteer HS track.
Other extra-duty assignments include Megan Humphreys, JR/SR high cheer, $2,788 (increase of $431); Eva Martinez, assistant JR/SR high cheer, $1,569 (newly-added position); Aaron Cottam, band director, $3,486 (increase of $384); and Micah Mehl, drama director, $3,486 (increase of $384).
Stipends were also set at $3,486 (increase of $384) for a choir director and $1,046 (increase of $114) for musical assistant.
Preliminary budget updated
Business and Finance Director Ben Rahe updated the board on changes made in the preliminary budget for 2021-22 since the May 4 board meeting.
Only a slight change was noted in revenue. On the expense side, Rahe said they added the increase in certified staff salaries, the new coaching salaries, two additional copiers for the high school and roughly $25,000 the district will pay for classes that students take through NJC.
After discussion two weeks earlier about a reserve for the outdoor track upgrade every 10-12 years, Rahe said they did budget $80,000 in capital projects for the track reserve.
Superintendent Kyle Stumpf noted that it is also their desire to get a floor covering for the new gym for when it’s used for such things as graduation. Rahe cited that it is on the capital project list, as is the cost of redoing the running track in the gym.
Rahe reminded the board that this is just the adopted budget that needs approved by the end of June. They still have the opportunity to make changes before the final budget adoption in the December/January timeline.
Mill levy override discussed
Because of unexpected money that the district has received or will be receiving in stimulus funds, Stumpf broached the topic of potentially collecting on fewer mills than were approved by voters in a mill levy override election.
Some of the items that were targetted for purchase with MLO funds have been bought with or requested for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds.
If some short-term and long-term needs are met, and the district reserve can be built to a certain level, Stumpf said the idea of a tax break to the community is very valid.
With one mill representing about $79,000 in revenue, board member Jon Kleve noted it makes sense to take off some of the approved mills if the requests from ESSER come through. He cited doing this toward the end of the MLO time period, not this first year.
Rahe said he’s OK with being flexible with the mill levy override but would also like to see caution this first year as some of the proposed ESSER requests aren’t approved yet. He also noted that they did add a lot to the budget with increases to salaries, etc., and he would like to see the first year play out.
Stumpf acknowledged that the elephant in the room is that they won’t know the full impact of COVID-19 on student achievement for potentially another year or two.
In the short term, they’re trying to get smaller class sizes and more paraprofessionals, but the long-term solutions may require more education dollars.
Stumpf said he feels this topic of lowering the number of mills collected from what was approved by voters is worth the continued conversation.
Other business
In other business at the May 18 meeting, the board:
— Noted that the June meetings will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, June 1 and 22.
— Approved Lauer, Szabo & Associates to conduct the district’s 2020-21 audit.
— Reviewed revised policies including certified staff salary schedule with a base of $34,856 for 2021-22; resignation of instructional staff/administrative staff; discipline, suspension and dismissal of professional staff; resignation of support staff; and discipline, suspension and dismissal of support staff.