Twin Rivers board goes against superintendent recommendation for salaries

BROSELEY, Mo.--The Twin Rivers Board of Education recently approved roughly $170,000 in salary increases for staff members.

This is about three times the amount recommended by Superintendent Mike Stevenson during the board's monthly meeting Tuesday.

Stevenson proposed paying increments of $450 to certified staff and $200 to non-certified staff at a cost of $57,000.

Board members approved this motion and a second measure to increase increments by $50, at an additional cost of at least $80,000. Staff receive the increase for each year of experience. For example, someone with 20 years would receive the initial $450 increment and an additional $1,000.

"I would not recommend increasing increments at this time," Stevenson said before the vote, adding that in following the salary schedule, some staff members will receive much more than a $50 pump. "Right now, with our expenses and what the state is doing to us, there is no way I could in good conscious do that."

Stevenson expects state funding cuts and higher expenses to leave Twin Rivers with approximately $534,000 in increased costs next year.

Increment increases were approved 6-1, with Bill Hirtz voting against the motion.

"If we do that, what we are going to do is go beyond the budget. We'll go in the red and we'll go in the red every year after," Hirtz said.

A 1 percent salary increase was unanimously approved by the board. Board members said they felt the increase was needed to show their appreciation for the work staff has done.

A motion was made for the pay bump and Stevenson again said he could not recommend the increase. Hirtz asked Stevenson to calculate how much the increase would cost.

Board president Donna Sue Ashcraft-Fincher called for a second to the motion, while Hirtz asked the board to wait.

"I want to know how much it is going to be before we vote," he said.

The motion was seconded and approved after Stevenson provided information that it will cost roughly $42,500.

Salary increases and increments do not include administrators. High school Principal Jerry Stockton and Stevenson have not received raises this year. Stevenson has not accepted a raise since he started in July 2007.

The board approved measures to amend the 2009-10 budget to reflect actual final numbers and to use this year's budget as a working budget for the next fiscal year which begins July 1.

2009-10 budget

Stevenson expects the district to be nearly $15,000 in the black at the end of this fiscal year.

The district lost about $83,000 from the state funding formula, $34,000 for Proposition C and nearly $38,000 from transportation money.

Savings were gained by eliminating some positions through attrition and cutting some programs

2010-11 budget

Stevenson plans to bring a new 2010-11 budget to the board in September.

Items affecting the 2011 financial outlook, according to Stevenson, are:

* Insurance premium increase, $263,000

* State funding formula cut of 4 percent, $167,000

* Transportation funding cut, $90,000

* Elimination of the School Health Grant, $35,000

* Losses in Proposition C revenue, $60,000