District Administrators Get a Raise

The following is a press release from the West Chester Area School District.

The School Board of the West Chester Area School District announced that administrative raises for the 2012-13 school year will average 1.7 percent. The Act 93 agreement covers 57 district employees, and the 1.7 percent amount represents a total compensation increase of $109,000 spread across the entire group. Of that allocation $67,000 will be used to bring some administrators who are below their position salary targets into alignment and $42,000 will be a one-time bonus averaging $742 per employee.

The agreement, which holds the administrative compensation increase to the Act 1 Index of 1.7 percent, represents an important step for the WCASD as it seeks to reach contract agreements with several bargaining units at the same time, including teachers, support staff, and custodians. These groups took a voluntary one-year pay freeze for the 2011-12 school year to extend existing contracts. District administrators, however, accepted a one-year salary freeze although the Act 93 contract called for increases, and so this represents a second straight year in which administrators have agreed to concessions with regard to Act 93 pay increases.

Board President Vince Murphy acknowledged the significance of the deal, saying, “This agreement continues to protect the financial interests of our taxpayers while allowing the Board to honor its commitments under Act 93.” Administrators are working in the final year of the agreement. Mr. Murphy added, “As we continue to negotiate with our other bargaining units, we hope they will note how one-time payouts were used successfully as part of the compensation plan for our Act 93 employees.”

In order to help close annual budget gaps, administrative staff in the district has been reduced by approximately eight percent over the past three years. 

“Like everyone else in the district, our administrators have been asked to do a lot more because of staff cuts and other reductions,” said Superintendent Dr. Jim Scanlon. “Our administrators recognize the reality of the challenging economy and are working very hard to keep the focus on teaching and learning in the classroom.”