Big pay raise for school administrator

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While the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board is in negotiations with the teachers’ union, offering a 2 percent pay hike, the board gave one administrator an 8 percent raise.

Board members voted 6-1 Monday to extend the contract of Assistant to the Superintendent Ken Batchelor through 2020. The new deal will bring his salary up from $178,199, to $193,199.

The lone vote against the $15,000 per year raise came from Director Carolyn Daniels, who said her vote was no reflection on Batchelor’s performance, but that it was a bad time for such an increase because of the negotiations with the union, the Unionville-Chadds Ford Education Association.

Director Keith Knauss defended the raise for two reasons. He said Batchelor has been doing two jobs since Sharon Allen-Spann, the former director of personnel, resigned two years ago, and because Batchelor is highly sought after when other school districts are looking for a new superintendent.

“I’m willing to pay market price to keep Ken,” Knauss said.

Salaries and negotiations were talking points well before the vote on Batchelor’s new contract.

School Board Director Gregg Lindner reviewed with the public the same information on negotiations that was covered in a March 13 press conference. He and fellow Director Keith Knauss said at the time that they support the current 2 percent offer made to the union.

The two sides are currently 3 percent points apart in their talks. The board is offering a 2.08 percent raise each year for three years, while the teachers are asking for 5.01 percent per year during the same period.

Union President Scott Broomall addressed the board during the first resident comment period, saying it was wrong for the board to call a press conference at 10:30 a.m. last Friday to talk about the negotiations while he was in class and unable to respond to reporters who were contacting him for comment.

He also said there was another oddity in the timing of the press conference.

“It’s a bit odd that the district goes public when the sides are only about 3 percent apart and there’s still three-and-a-half months to go [before the current contract expires]. This has done nothing but make the process more contentious,” Broomall said. “I don’t know what the agenda of the board is in going public, but it certainly wasn’t to work with us to reach a settlement.”

He said the board “demonized and manipulated” the teachers’ 5 percent proposal in the eyes of the public.

“You attacked the very professionals who make this a premier school district,” he added.

"The proposal put forth by the teachers would cost the taxpayers about $125 more a year," Broomall continued. "That's $10 a month. Thirty-four cents a day. That seems more than reasonable for a district of our caliber. That's cup of coffee a week."

Broomall received a standing ovation from fellow teachers after he spoke. (See photo.)

A story on the board’s press briefing can be found here https://chaddsfordlive.com/2015/03/13/3-percent-separates-school-board-and-teachers-union/).

Broomall also wrote a letter to the editor regarding the negotiations. The letter can be found here https://chaddsfordlive.com/2015/03/16/letter-to-the-editor-going-backwards-at-u-cfsd/.

Knauss said the reason for going public was to bring the public up to speed, adding that it’s important for taxpayers to know that compensation for teachers makes up roughly 50 percent of the district’s budget and influences another 20 percent of spending.

Director Kathy Do said she’s confident that the board and the teachers will come to an equitable agreement.

Fellow Director Jeff Hellrung said he supports the board’s goals and the job being done by the negotiating team, which is made up of Lindner, Knauss and board President Vic Dupuis.

Other business

The board acknowledged the resignation of several district employees, including Unionville High School Principal Paula Massanari. Her resignation is effective at the end of the school year.

Superintendent John Sanville said Massanari has always reflected statements made in her initial employment package, that she has an “innate ability and desire to make a difference.”

“She’s a transformational leader with the drive and commitment to make a great high school even better,” he said.

Sanville also joked that he had no idea Massanari was considering retirement because she showed none of the signs. She continued to arrive early and stay late and “she didn’t stop laughing at my jokes.”

 Photo: Unionville - Chadds Ford Education Association President Scott Broomall, seated, gerts a standing ovation from teachers after he addressed the the school board.

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  1. Barbara Wells

    wow! Talk about a slap in the face to the teachers. Sanville gets a 10 percent increase in 2014 and Batchelor gets an 8 percent five year contract, (who gets that?) So disrespectful to the teachers. And how about the timing?

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