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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

ELY SCHOOL DISTRICT

School board rejects pay raise for committee work

Keith Vandervort
Posted 1/21/21

ELY – A new year brings new members to ISD 696 school board. Darren Visser and Hollee Coombe replace two former members who did not seek re-election, Heidi Mann and James Pointer. Board members …

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ELY SCHOOL DISTRICT

School board rejects pay raise for committee work

Posted

ELY – A new year brings new members to ISD 696 school board. Darren Visser and Hollee Coombe replace two former members who did not seek re-election, Heidi Mann and James Pointer. Board members met recently to re-affirm a number of organizational positions and policies.
Ray Marsnik remains as board chair. Rochelle Sjoberg was re-elected as board clerk and Tom Omerza returns as board treasurer.
While accepting a cost-of-living increase in their stipends for serving on the panel, board members declined to give themselves a raise for serving on board committees.
A motion to establish compensation levels for 2021 with a 1.2-percent raise for inflation was passed unanimously. Board members will now be paid $195 per month (plus $30,000 in life insurance), and the board chair will receive $251 per month (plus $30,000 in life insurance). In addition, board members will be paid $56 for the monthly study session.
Marsnik reminded the board that the life insurance benefit is for board members who are younger than age 65.
Board member Tony Colarich sought to amend the board compensation motion to include pay of $15 per board member for each board committee meeting they attend.
Visser said he would not be opposed to the idea of considering committee compensation on an individual basis, but voiced concerns with the motion.
“Some committees take an immense amount of time, but to do a blanket statement across the board could open up a precedent for the rest of our bargaining units,” he said.
Marsnik said the school board has as many as 17 committees.
“I estimate that would be approximately 150 meetings per year,” he said. “With Tony’s motion that we pay $15 per meeting, that would amount to $2,250 per year, about $375 per board member, or an additional $31 per month.”
Adding the $195 per month for board meetings, plus $56 for study sessions, and the projected $31 proposed committee pay, would be $282 per month or $3,384 per year compensation for each board member.
Marsnik compared school board member compensation rates around northern Minnesota. “Out of 31 other school districts, ten districts pay more than Ely and 21 pay less,” he said.
“International Falls pays $3,120. Greenway and Mesabi East are at $3,000. Duluth is at $7,560 per year. Nett Lake is $6,000 per year. The rest were all pretty close to the same.”
Colarich pushed for the compensation increase.
“Board members, at times, are spending more time on committee assignments during the month than regular school board meetings,” he said. “That commitment should be represented.”
Omerza stated, “I don’t think any of us are here for the income. We are here, hopefully, to help the kids. Given where we’re at, with the ramp up of expenses due to the pandemic, the facilities project, and the last couple of rounds on (salary) negotiations, I’m of the desire to set the example and show that we are watching expenses. This whole thing here is for the kids. Certainly, some committees are spending an inordinate amount of time. I would be more for staying where we’re at.”
Marsnik added that he could find very few regional school districts that compensate board members for committee work.
“The only one in our area is ISD 2142, and they show an annual salary of $4,800,” he said. “We are in the ballpark of most districts.”
The motion to include committee work in the pay scale was defeated on a 4-1 vote. Colarich voted for the motion, while Marsnik, Omerza, Visser and Coombe voted against it. Sjoberg was absent from the meeting.
Parking lot sinkhole
Superintendent Erik Erie’s update on the facility renovation project included new information on a development that could cost taxpayers another $140,000 or more.
“In the stadium parking lot area, we had a sink hole develop last summer,” he said. “We don’t really know what is underneath that. In fact, we had a student step in it. It has been patched up, but we found out that is the one parking area not covered by the ($20 million) project. I was a little surprised by that.”
He said all the other campus parking lot areas are slated for renovation.
An estimate from project supervisor Kraus-Anderson indicates that to repave the area would cost about $86,000, and completely rebuilding the lot for long-term use would run about $144,000.
“We don’t know what the issue is, but there is a problem underneath,” Erie said.
“In looking at how to cover that cost, we are looking at an abatement bond,” he said.
The district’s financial advisor is exploring that option and will provide an update to school board members at the Jan. 25 study session. “They will explain how by financing the Long Term Facilities Maintenance bond and combining that with an abatement bond, we can have a favorable outcome. We don’t want to significantly affect the taxpayers any more than we told them.”
Other business
In other business, board:
• Accepted the resignations of paraprofessionals Donna Carlson and Sarah Spate.
• Accepted the resignation of Head Volleyball Coach Andrea Thomas, effective immediately.
• Accepted a leave of absence request from assistant boys basketball coach Tim Omerza for the 2020-21 season.
• Approved a request fromKindergarten teacher Megan Devine for another leave of absence, without pay, for the 2021-22 school year.
• Hired Jordan Huntbatch for the full-time Payroll, Benefits and Finance Coordinator position for $53,000 per year.
• Hired Jessica Anderson for the Indian Education Home School Liaison position at $17 per hour.
• Designated the Ely Echo, the only bid received, as the district’s official newspaper for 2021 at the same rate as last year.
• Designated Klun Law Firm as the district’s legal counsel for 2021 at the same rate, $120/hour, as last year.
• Approved the hanging of a hockey memorabilia display in the ice arena.
• Approved a cooperative agreement with the Kreckelberg Home School for boys basketball for the 2020-21 season.