Sean C. Morgan
Next year when the School Board searches for a new superintendent, Chairman Mike Reynolds told the board Monday night, the district should consider increasing its compensation package based on comparisons to other districts of similar size.
He pointed to an annual survey by the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators of 28 districts with enrollment of 1,553 to 3,786. Not all schools in that range are represented, including Stayton and Cottage Grove.
According to the survey, salaries range from $110,989 in Baker to $134,548 in Tillamook. In some cases, the superintendent pays for retirement, while most districts pick up the retirement payment. Sweet Home is paying its superintendent $106,283.
The board needs to think about “making time to consider bumping ourselves up next year to be competitive with districts our size,” Reynolds said. If the district can change the salary next year, it will appear in the COSA survey, which potential superintendents watch, and make Sweet Home more attractive to candidates.
Leena Ellis suggested advertising a range of $110,000 to $120,000 tied to experience, but she wanted more information about cost of living in the surveyed districts, while also considering enrollment, before she would be willing to boost the salary.
“I do agree we need to push this up prior to looking for a superintendent,” said Jason Redick. “I think we need to make some movement that shows where we’re headed. I think moving that direction is probably necessary to attract the highest quality candidates.”
Business Manager Kevin Strong told the board that he could gather data on housing costs in those communities.
Present at the meeting were Jenny Daniels, Redick, Reynolds, Leena Ellis and Nick Ausgburger. Absent were Jason Van Eck, Chanz Keeney, David VanDerlip and Kevin Burger.
In other business, the board:
n Voted to allow the Husky Field turf committee to move forward with a plan to install business logos on the new field in exchange for pledges, which may include multi-year payments.
That will require the district to front costs for the new artificial turf, said Supt. Keith Winslow.
The board also told Winslow to move forward with surveying the field, a cost of $13,000, which would be drawn from the $100,000 the district has committed to the project.
The committee needs to raise another $268,000, Winslow said.
“How is it possible to raise $268,000?” Ellis asked.
“That’s one of the challenges with the time constraints we have,” Winslow said. It may be next year before the project can be done. The committee hasn’t been successful with grants yet, although eight applications remain unanswered.
The board approved a contract with the Oregon Jamboree, which uses School District property to stage its annual country music and camping festival, scheduled for July 31 to Aug. 2 this year.
Jamboree officials and the board reached an agreement that will allow three campers, who the Jamboree has been unable to relocate, to camp behind the visitors section at Husky Field, by 22nd Avenue.
The Jamboree has relocated campers from Husky Field due to the proposed artificial turf project, which may be under way during the Jamboree. The construction area will be fenced.
In the future, the Jamboree will no longer host campers on Husky Field.
n Accepted the resignation of Helen Cannon, language arts and social studies at Sweet Home Junior High; Chemen Clearwaters, kindergarten at Hawthorne; Michelle Clarno, science at Sweet Home Junior High; and Larry Horton, principal at Holley.
n Accepted the resignation of Sarah Lynn’s from a full-time position as a history teacher at Sweet Home Junior High for a half-time job share.
n Accepted the retirement of Al Grove, vocational instructor at Sweet Home High School.
n Hired Cheryl Hicks as transportation supervisor.
n Declared a 1997 Chevrolet Suburban with 274,000 miles surplus.
n Accepted a donation of 25 headphones worth $900 from White’s Electronics for state testing purposes.