School board seeks to add curriculum administrator

Retirement and the paring down of expenditures allow for staff addition, By Joseph Harkins SPARTA - The school board approved adding an administrator to the district’s curriculum and development staff in its tentative budget for the 2006-2007 academic year. Sparta Schools Superintendent Thomas Morton said the “teaching” position, which is expected to carry a $110,000 annual salary, is being created to enhance curriculum development and improve standardized test scores at the high school level. Sparta is currently at the bottom third of all “I” district schools in academic performance ranking. The “I” classification, or District Factor Group, defines a community’s socioeconomic status. A is for the poorest, and J is for the wealthiest. It is used by the state to compare similar school districts. Morton said that aside from the existing assistant superintendent, the school district doesn’t employ another administrator to oversee curriculum and development. He said all other “I” district schools staff administrative curriculum heads at every level. Morton brought assistant superintendent Kathleen Monks to fill the school district’s newly created assistant superintendent for curriculum and development position during the past academic year. He has credited Monks with improving the standardized test scores of K-12 students since joining the district in December 2004. “We have a pretty good bargain in Dr. Monks,” said Morton. “She works as hard and diligently as any employee I’ve ever had.” After less than a year on the job, Morton amended the new assistant superintendent’s annual salary to $148,515, an increase of $23,515. The decision raised debate within the community as to whether or not the school district has become top-heavy with high-priced administrators. Morton said his most recent request to hire an administrator curriculum and development will enable more “lieutenants” to monitor classroom work and progress. “These people are teaching people who are teaching students,” said school board member Michael Schiavoni. “If we don’t have assistant coaches, great strategies don’t get implemented.” School officials said the retirement of three teachers and the paring down of expenditures beyond the 4-percent state-mandated cap allowance from $174,000 to $118,000 will position the district to make the staff addition. The state “cap” legislation or “big squeeze” as school officials refer to it, significantly restricts both how and the amount communities can spend to educate their children. The law requires school districts to reduce their maximum school budget surplus to 4 percent in 2006-2007, and requires the excess surplus to be used for property tax relief. The $50,774, 696 tentative budget was submitted to the Department of Education as required by state law. A final proposal will not be presented to the public until Gov. Jon Corzine announces his budget later this spring. A public hearing on the school budget will be held March 27.