Arcadia school staff receive raises

Staff in the Arcadia School District received a pay raise from its school board this week.

Teachers and other salaried employees, including school nurses, the district executive assistant, bookkeeper, school psychologist and technology integration specialist each received 6.3% raises on their base salaries with unanimous approval on Monday.

District administrator Lance Bagstad and building administrators received a 5% increase to their salaries after a board discussion where some felt that their increase should match that of the slightly higher bump for other staff.

“I don’t understand why we’re only doing 5% for the administration team,” board member Brian Steinlicht told the board. “I understand that the admin team gets a higher salary, but I do believe that they have more duties applied to them.”

The proposal was a “happy ground in the middle” for the budget, according to board president Paul Servais.

“The history of the school district is it has been the same,” Servais told the board on Monday. “But most years raises were 1.2%. So now all of a sudden it’s more significant. But if the board feels that it should be changed, it can be changed.”

Other board members felt the proposal was fine as is, and the 5% increase for administrators — including building principals; director of pupil services; director of curriculum, instruction and assessment; district administrator; technology director; Wanek Center director; Wanek Center youth sports coordinator; director of transportation; childcare director — passed with a 7-0 vote.

A vote to give administrators the same 6.3% raise other staff received failed 4-3 with Steinlicht, Servais and Diana Tempski voting for the matching raise.

Elementary associate principal Tony Hart spoke on behalf of the administrative team during public comment, telling the board that teachers and other staff deserve the raises.

“These people who you see here and beyond come to school, work hard each day. They step up to the plate,” Hart said. “They are asked to be parents, to be counselors and to deal with anything that comes their way and they do that with grace and passion each and every day.”

The board also unanimously approved sustaining its current pay for board members at $100 per meeting attended.