Board Passes Levy and Agrees with Principals

From the Sun Post on October 14:

The Robbinsdale District 281 School Board on Oct. 4 approved a maximum proposed levy for 2011 of $55.5 million, a 2.68 percent increase over last year.

“We are recommending the maximum levy to allow for the state to adjust categories or because of changes,” said Lonnie Smith, District 281’s executive director of business services.  The board will have an opportunity to decrease the proposed levy before it sets the final amount in December, but it cannot raise the amount.

So the district asks for the maximum of $55.5 million!  Come on, couldn’t you have asked for $55.4 or $55.3?

In other action, the board approved a two-year collective bargaining agreement with the district’s principals’ association.

The 2009-11 agreement calls for a 0 percent salary increase in the first year of the contract, and a 1 percent increase in the second year.  The district contribution for each employee’s health insurance will be increased by $50 a month in each of the two years of the contract.

The principals’ performance incentive has been incorporated within the salary schedule, according to Stephanie Crosby, executive director of human resources. The contract also provides for principals to file for mileage reimbursement for school-related business in the same manner as the superintendent and cabinet members.

The salaries for head principals in District 281 range from $95,448 for an elementary head principal, to $124,145 for a senior high school head principal.The district still has not reached a 2009-11 contract agreement with the bargaining unit for custodians and bus drivers, Crosby said.

Gee whiz; $95,000 to $124,000 for a principal?  Again, we don’t have a problem with good people making good money, we object to everyone making the same.  And if we increase the district’s (or should we say the taxpayers) health care contribution by $50 a month per employee isn’t that the same as a $600 a year raise?  We are also curious what the true cost of “mileage reimbursement” is.   And what exactly is “school related business?”  Is $124,000 a year not enough to put gas in your car?