School district still haunted by recent salary decision

SPARTA-Sparta school officials are tepidly preparing for dangerous cuts in next year’s budget while looking over their shoulders at a decision that continues to haunt the district’s top administrators. Superintendent Thomas Morton admitted erring in bringing a new administrator into the school district at a salary below what he believed was warranted, but did not back down on his decision to reward the assistant superintendent for curriculum and development with a $23,515 raise after less than a year on the job. “I believe I made a mistake,” said Morton, who feared losing Kathleen Monks to another school district. Morton credited Monks with improving the standardized test scores of K-12 students since joining the district in December 2004. “I bear the responsibility of coming in low and not getting the full board approval before debate in public.” The decision, made last month, amended Monk’s annual salary to $148,515, pro-rated from when the Pennsylvania resident was hired in December 2004, to bring her on par with her fellow assistant superintendent and principals employed in the district. But the effects of the action may have chilled any future school board moves until a new budget is passed next spring. Residents at this week’s board of education meeting expressed concern and some outrage over what they perceive to be a school district top-heavy in administrative salaries. “You let us down,” said Sparta resident Lorraine Laws, before the school board. “It was too quick a decision.” Morton said the board had three months to agree on the salary increase, but the vote came on short notice to some board members who have been trying to justify construction of a new high school in Station Park. The school board members did not escape local discontent when they agreed this week to approve the appointment of a new director of special services at a salary of $105,000. Linda Cooper, a director of special services at Metuchen the past two years, will replace Judith Geddis, who is retiring after 30 years in the Sparta School District, effective Jan. 2, 2006. The appointment, at $7,000 less than the current administrator who has served in the position for the past 10 years, raised eyebrows among school board members. “I would think that this would be an opportunity for the district to pick up a greater savings,” said school board member Richard Sullivan. Cooper will earn $20,000 less than the director of special services for Hopatcong schools, an equivalent salary to Jefferson Township’s administrator, and almost $10,000 more than what the position pays in Vernon. When she arrives, Cooper will be responsible for supervising the district’s child-study team, home instruction, LDTC, psychological services, social work, special education, speech and hearing. “At what level is a person going to be happy here and not be looking to move to another district after a year?” asked Morton. Cooper brings to the district expertise as a former child study team member and two years of experience as a supervisor of student services in the Denville Township Public Schools, where she also served 13 years as a social worker. Salaries and benefits consume 83 percent of the school district’s $46 million annual budget. Ronald Wolfe, the district’s assistant superintendent for business administration, said that’s the only area left to reduce when next year’s budget talks begin amid anticipated cuts in state aid. “We will need a miracle to get through this budget,” said Wolfe, who has heard some of the aftershocks from last year’s decision to slim the fourth- and fifth-grade music program. “It’s not going to be a pleasant task to get to where we need to be based on what’s coming down the road.”