Salary schedules approved for 2017-18
Wage increases for both the classified staff and certified staff in Holyoke School District Re-1J were set for the 2017-18 school year at the Tuesday, April 4, meeting of the Board of Education.
Since the certified staff salaries saw a big jump a year ago, the focus this year was updating the classified staff wages.
Classified employees are identified by job class including paraprofessionals, custodians/secretaries, administrative/transportation secretary/maintenance/grounds and directors.
With the state minimum wage set to increase to $10/hour Jan. 1, 2018, the base level for paraprofessionals increased to that amount, representing the largest percentage increase.
The average increase for classified staff was a little over 5 percent, while paraprofessionals saw closer to a 6.5 percent jump.
The new classified staff salary schedule represents about a $28,000 increase in the budget.
A conservative salary increase was approved for certified staff. It involves a step increase for a year’s experience, plus about 1 percent. The base salary for certified staff increased 1 percent to $34,173 for 2017-18 from this year’s $33,835.
A little over $42,000 increase will be the budget impact from the certified staff salary schedule.
New maintenance person hired; 4 teachers resign
Personnel action at last week’s meeting found the school board hiring a new maintenance person and accepting resignations from four teachers.
Billy Sonnemaker has extensive maintenance experience and has been working in school maintenance in Denver and Aurora. He was hired for the maintenance position being vacated by Stan Kreider. He will begin May 1, with several months’ overlap to train with Kreider.
With resignations effective at the end of their current contracts, four teachers will not return for the 2017-18 school year. Resignations were accepted for Rebecca Brandt, JR/SR high math; Debbie Colglazier, family and consumer science/FCCLA; Christina Martinez, elementary art; and John Hickey, JR/SR high physical education.
Colglazier said she does plan to fulfill her duties through the national FCCLA conference in July.
Other business
In other business at the April 4 meeting, the school board:
—Heard a recap of the recent Every 15 Minutes program by FCCLA team members Brook Prottsman, Austin Herman and Tyler Lamm.
—Received updated information on the two-year Safe Route to School grant. The school district’s former transportation garage has been cleared out to house bikes and bike equipment that will be purchased for use in classes next year.
—Heard parent-teacher conference reports from the building principals. Kyle Stumpf said as of that day, 90 percent of elementary school conferences had been completed after being rescheduled due to the March 6-7 fire and state basketball week. Susan Ortner said conference attendance at the JR/SR high was down 10 percent from last spring’s conferences.
—Noted information that Superintendent John McCleary had shared at a recent presentation to the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. He said the school district spent $709,543 with local vendors in 2015-16. He also reported that 84 percent of the school district employees live in the district.
—Approved second reading on the following policies: school board member conflict of interest, voting method, federal fiscal compliance, federal procurement, bidding procedures, expense authorization/reimbursement, staff ethics/conflict of interest and privacy and protection of confidential student information.