By Tom Gilchrist
For The Advertiser
VASSAR — The Vassar Public Schools Board of Education will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday to consider paying higher salaries — called “stipends” — to four administrators and a counselor as part of a plan for the Vassar and Millington school districts to share services next school year.
“The question that I keep getting from people is … they understand our people going over to Millington and helping out to give a financial support on that, but they’re saying ‘Rather than giving (raises) out as stipends, why aren’t you paying off their present salary in Vassar?’” said Vassar board member Randy Middlin at a Monday meeting of the board’s Finance Committee.
“Because — if they’re not in Vassar doing their jobs — they get that pay, and they go to Millington and work there and then get additional pay when they’re working less hours here,” Middlin said.
For example, Vassar pays Superintendent Thomas Palmer an annual salary of $98,455, plus $2,500 from a “longevity” clause in his contract boosting his pay based on the number of years he has worked for the school district. Each year he also gets an annuity amounting to 6 percent of his earnings; this year’s annuity payment is $6,057.
The proposed stipend for Palmer — serving as superintendent of both the Vassar and Millington districts — is an additional $20,000 next year. If the stipend is approved, Palmer’s total annual salary, longevity and annuity payments would equal $127,012 in the fiscal year starting in July.
Similarly, Vassar High School Principal Paul Wojno receives salary, longevity and annuity payments totalling $99,151 this school year. But as principal of both Vassar and Millington high schools next year,
Wojno would receive an additional stipend of $18,000 if the board approves it. Then, Wojno’s total annual salary, longevity and annuity payments would equal $117,151.
“I don’t think that ($18,000 stipend) that’s being offered to me is a substantially outrageous amount of money for the amount of work that I’m going to be putting into this thing,” Wojno told board Finance Committee members Middlin, Kirk VanWormer and Russell Hubbard.
By sharing services with Millington and moving kindergarten classes from Townsend North Elementary School to Central Elementary School next year, the Vassar school district will save an estimated $296,809.
As principal of two high schools, Wojno said “I’m going to be responsible for everything that happens in Vassar, and everything that happens in Millington.”
“This is a lot of work,” Wojno added. “If I can pull it off — which I believe I can — we’re going to save this district about $300,000. That’s a substantial amount of money.”
VanWormer defended the idea of paying the stipends.
“I don’t think you should expect anybody to take on a two-school system for the same amount of money,” VanWormer said. “I know there’s a lot of people in town who think they should, but that’s not the way it goes.”
Palmer, already serving as superintendent for Vassar and Millington, said his “nighttime activities have gone up two-fold” in that role — with school board meetings in both districts, serving on committees in both districts and attending evening school activities in both districts.
“It’s two complete jobs that we’re doing at one particular point in time,” Palmer said. “It’s not ‘half the time here and half the time there.’”
Board member Hubbard offered his perspective.
“I think what Randy (Middlin) is trying to say is that’s not the public perception, though,” Hubbard said. “When you sit there and explain it, that’s a good view. But that’s not what the public’s thinking.”
The Vassar school board on Monday also will consider approving a stipend of $5,676 for Kyle Boros, who will serve as counselor in both the Vassar and Millington districts next year.
The board also will consider approving stipends for two Vassar administrators who will not work in Millington next year: Central Elementary Principal Phil Marcy who would receive a $5,000 stipend; and Assistant Middle School Principal Jason Kiss, who would receive $5,000.
Deborah Dewey, already working for both the Vassar and Millington districts in an administrative capacity, would no longer serve as Townsend North principal next school year but would oversee federal programs and student assessment for both school districts.
Middlin asked how a stipend came to be proposed for Marcy.
“I didn’t approach anyone for it and I didn’t ask for it, but I also know that I’ve been with this district 13 years, and you’re sending someone over to Millington to do shared services, and I’d better be making what they’re making,” Marcy said.
Central Elementary, next year, would add kindergarten students and not have a counselor following the upcoming retirement of special education supervisor/school social worker Bill Haines.
“There’s more responsibility, but part of the reason (Dewey) is going to be able to do what she does over at Millington is that I’m taking a load off her plate,” Marcy said. “I’m sorry. It just is what it is.”