Superintendent Perry’s raise approved
7:03 p.m. PDT September 14, 2016
The Salem-Keizer School Board approved a raise in Superintendent Christy Perry’s compensation package Tuesday night.
The following amendments will be made to Perry’s contract:
- For 2016-17: $17,000 will be added to the current base salary of $204,000 and $14,000 added to the current $21,000 tax sheltered annuities (TSA).
- For 2017-18: A cost of living adjustment will be added to the base salary, based on the amount allocated to other district administrators. Additionally, a 4 percent retention incentive will be paid on June 30, 2018.
- For 2018-19: The amount of the 2017-18 retention incentive will be added to the base salary, along with a cost of living adjustment, based on the amount allocated to other district administrators. In addition, a 4 percent retention incentive will be paid on June 30, 2019.
Board Director Nancy MacMorris-Adix said at a previous meeting the reconsideration of Perry’s contract came after they reviewed the original job description and salary range — which said the position could earn as much as $235,000 — and finding Perry’s salary is less than the state average for superintendents, which is close to $298,000 in total compensation for the 2018-19 year.
Beaverton School District’s superintendent will earn $330,000 in that year, board members said.
The amendment to Perry’s contract was approved Tuesday 6-1, with Marty Heyen voting against.
“I do highly respect our superintendent and think she’s doing an awesome job, but I do just have a hard time with a net increase of $42,000 in one year,” Heyen said. “Unless the board had made some sort of … promise to bring her up to that level when they hired her, I think that is too much of an increase in one year.”
Four local teachers came to the board meeting Tuesday night as well, sharing similar comments as Heyen’s.
They all praised Perry and said they are glad to see the board making an effort to retain her, but added they hope the board considers this when negotiating changes in teachers’ compensation packages in a year and a half.
Board Director Jim Green responded to the teachers over the phone, saying, if the money is available, he will be in full support.
“I understand they (the teachers) are woefully underpaid for the work they do,” he said. “They helped us (the district) through financial times when we were making huge cuts in our school district budgets.
“We appreciate that and we hear your efforts.”
For more information, contact the Salem-Keizer School Board at 503-399-3001 or go online to www.salkeiz.k12.or.us/schoolboard.
Contact Natalie Pate at npate@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6745, or follow on Twitter @Nataliempate, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nataliepatejournalist.
Timeline
At the June 28 business meeting this year, the board approved Superintendent Christy Perry’s employment contract.
After the approval of the contract, the board agreed that board leadership would continue the conversation regarding a competitive compensation package for Perry.
At the July 26 work session, the board further discussed the superintendent’s compensation and requested board leadership to recommend a competitive compensation package for Perry.
The recent amendment was presented to the board for a first reading at the August 9 meeting. These amendments were officially approved Tuesday.
Natalie Pate 