The Shelton Board of Education has approved a one-year extension to Superintendent Freeman Burr’s contract that bumps his salary to $165,000 in 2013 – 2014.
Burr’s previous contract ran through 2012 – 2013. The newly approved extension adds one more year.
The superintendent’s salary will increase by 5 percent between now and the 2013 – 2014 school year.
Burr, who was hired in 2009, will make $157,000 this year, $160,000 in 2012 – 2013 and $165,000 in 2013 – 2014, according to the contract.
The contract was approved by the Shelton Board of Education at its Sept. 28 meeting.
The Valley Independent Sentinel filed a Freedom of Information request for the document on Sept. 30.
The contract was signed Oct. 27.
It was given to the Valley Indy Nov. 1.
School officials attributed the delay to the fact the contract was still being finalized.
Article continues after document.
Supt Contract Amended 10 – 27-11
Pay Scale
School board chairman Tim Walsh said the contract brings Burr’s pay closer to that of other superintendents in Fairfield County and the region.
“Freeman’s salary basically was the lowest in the whole region, including the Valley and Milford,” Walsh said Thursday.
Derby’s school superintendent in 2010 – 2011 made less than Burr, at $133,900. Seymour’s superintendent this year made more than Burr, at $163,470.
The No Votes
Two board of education members — Jay Francino-Quinn and Kathy Yolish — voted against the contract, saying that now isn’t the time to give a raise to the schools chief.
“As the head of the entire school system, as a leader, he should be the one setting the example to say, ‘I appreciate your vote of confidence in me. However, things are not really great at this time and I feel there are better things we can do with this money to benefit the children,’” Francino-Quinn said.
“They keep on saying ‘Do more with less.’ Tell me what makes sense in this whole thing?” Francino-Quinn said.
Arlene Liscinsky, the vice-chairman of the Board of Education who negotiated the contract with fellow board member Win Oppel, said Burr will pay more toward his health insurance expenses to partly offset the $5,000 increase in 2013 – 14.
“I think it’s very fair,” Liscinsky said. “He’s happy with it. We’re happy with it.”
Liscinsky said extending a superintendent’s contract for an extra year is a vote of confidence that the board is happy with their work.
“Freeman is very well respected. He works very will with the Board of Aldermen and the mayor,” Liscinsky said. “Why would you want to in any way, shape or form, discourage him?”
Perks
Other items in Burr’s contract include:
- 18 sick days
- Three personal days per year.
- 24 vacation days per year.
- Health plan available to other administrators in the district. Burr will be required to pay 13 percent of the costs in 2011-12, 14 percent of the costs in 2012 – 13, and 15 percent of the costs in 2013 – 14.
- $500 a month in automobile expense reimbursements. Starting in 2012 – 2013, the reimbursement will bump up to $600 a month.
- Tuition reimbursement of up to $6,500 a year for graduate level courses related to his position as superintendent.
The Bonus
At the September meeting, the board also approved an “incentive payment” of $7,500 that will go toward Burr’s retirement plan. Yolish and Francino-Quinn also voted against the incentive payment.
The payment was allowed for in Burr’s original contract (click here to read a story about it) if Burr met certain goals set by the Board of Education.
Those goals this past year included:
- Development and implementation of a ‘Leadership Academy’
- Implementation of Phase I of a STEM career pathway for students in sixth through 12th grades.
- Develop a district communication plan
- Implement an ongoing two-way dialogue and communication with the teachers union and the administrators union.
Walsh said Burr has met all the goals and the board is happy with his performance.
The leadership academy was especially important to Walsh, he said.
The academy gives training to staff members in the Shelton school district to give them skills to compete for administrator jobs that open in the district. The program includes speakers, job shadowing and mentoring of about a dozen staff members in Shelton.
Burr said the program creates a “career ladder of growth” in the district.
“We’re hopeful we’ll continue to grow leaders,” Burr said. “Maybe they’ll take their skills outside of Shelton and as positions open, they’ll bring the expertise back… We feel that it’s a good thing. We feel it’s an opportunity to continue to grow and develop our people.”
“The consensus of the board in discussions was that $7,500 was a fair and reasonable amount,” Walsh said.
Burr was eligible to receive up to $10,000, which created a stir in town when Mayor Mark Lauretti — in order to point out the benefit — said he wanted to receive a bonus too for doing his job.
Adding a year to Burr’s contract means that the board is happy with Burr, and he’s happy staying in the district, Liscinsky said.
Burr said over the next three years he hopes to help the district redesign its curriculum to meet new state standards that will take effect in 2015.
“I’m very excited,” Burr said Thursday. “I really do love Shelton. I think we have a great professional teaching staff. We have effective leadership in the district. So I’m excited to continue.”
Below is a copy of the minutes from the Sept. 28 meeting where the contract and incentive payment were approved.
