Today the Journal Star Opinion page served as the Pekin School District consolidation battleground. On the pro-consolidation side, we find a letter from Dr. Fred Reader with the sensational title of “Duplicate districts gouge taxpayers.” Challenging the need for a consolidation study is District 108 Superintendent Don White. His piece in the Journal Star is essentially the same as the one that ran in the Times (that I blogged about here).
OK, I want to examine Dr. Reader’s piece. Let’s just forget for a minute that consolidation CAN’T happen without the input of the other feeder districts … which we don’t have at this point. Let’s just ignore the fact that this whole debate is completely meaningless without that input. Minor details, right?
Dr. Reader contends that the administration of two districts is bloated, and because of that
taxpayers are getting gouged with the existence of school districts lying on top of each other with duplicated salaries and services.
OK, here are the FACTS. Based on the publicly accessible and readily available School Report Cards, in 2004 District 108 spent 2.4% of its budget on administration and District 303 spent 4.6% of its budget on administration. I chose the 2004 report cards because that is the most recent one available on the District 303 web site, and I wanted to compare the two districts in the same year. Administration is a TINY part of the total budget for the district. Axing an administrator or two isn’t going to make that much difference, people.
Dr. Reader specifically complains about the salaries of the top 4 administrators in the District:
According to information from the Family Taxpayers Foundation, which tracks Illinois public school employee salaries, in the past year the District 303 superintendent earned in excess of $136,000 (total compensation package) and the business manager earned over $128,000. Meanwhile, the District 108 superintendent earned in excess of $134,000 and the business manager earned more than $101,000.
I’ll admit, our administrators are well paid. I have yet to hear anyone that actually works with any of these administrators complain that they’re incompetent. In fact, several commenters here have given glowing praise of Don White. I’ve also heard good things about Paula Davis.
Now, if the districts were consolidated, there likely would be some cuts in administrative positions. They would NOT be cut in half, but let’s say for the sake of argument that one superintendent position and one business manager position were cut from the consolidated district. I’ll even pick the highest paid – $136,000 and $128,000, for a total savings of $264,000. Now, I’ll ignore for the moment that we’d have to pay the remaining administrators MORE because they’d have additional responsibilities. It’s those annoying details again! Anyway …
To accomplish consolidation, teacher salaries for the former District 108 teachers would have to be brought in line with District 303’s salaries. Dr. Reader contends that this would be a drop in the bucket compared to the administrative savings. Ohhhh reeeeeeeeeallly?
As of the 2004 report card, there were 251 teachers in District 108 with an average annual salary of $45,655. For the same year, District 303 teachers made on average $1702 more that the 108 teachers. Let’s see … 251 teachers x $1702 per teacher = $427,202.
Last time I checked, $427,202 was MORE than $264,000. Where’s the big cost savings???
For clarification, I am NOT saying that District 108 teachers don’t DESERVE to be paid just as well as District 303 teachers. They absolutely do. I’m simply pointing out that Dr. Reader’s contentions just don’t add up.
Of course none of this even matters since we don’t yet have the requisite input from the other feeder districts in order to accomplish consolidation. Those damn details!
7 responses so far ↓
1
Jean
// Jan 16, 2007 at 1:05 am
Illinois State Board website shows the actual 04 average 108 teachers salary $47,007, adding the three percent annual increases I assume they receive each year would put this years average at $50K. Not bad for part time work.
I believe I heard or read resently that the 303 and 108 pay scales were very close, if not higher at 108.
The teachers pay in Pekin hasn’t been the issue as I understand it, only wasting unneed dollars on unneeded overhead that could go for more class room teachers. etc.
Speaking as a taxpayer, my special interest, I think Mr. Reader’s points are valid in making the case for streamlining the system.
2
Rick Wade
// Jan 16, 2007 at 1:35 am
Really,folks. We are spending entirely too much time and energy debating issues such as school consolidation when the REAL issue is the alien invasion that is now taking place on this planet. When we’re all being digested in the belly of some creature from outer space, don’t come crying to me.
3
knightindragonland
// Jan 16, 2007 at 2:18 am
I can’t find where it gives average teacher salaries by school district on the Illinois State Board of Education site. I found a teacher salary report that gives ranges of salaries by district for teachers of various education levels, but from what I can see it does not give average overall salary. Your single figure of $47,007 is meaningless unless you provide the District 303 figure for the same year from the same source.
You “believe you heard” that 303 and 108 pay scales are very close? I’m sorry … that’s not good enough. I’ve shown numbers for both districts from the same year from a publicly accessible source. If you could provide the link to where you got your salary figure, I would appreciate it.
I also wouldn’t “assume” a 3% annual increase. I believe the 303 teachers got a one-time bonus this year that was less than 3%. I don’t recall what happened with 108 teacher salaries, if anything.
The “unneeded overhead” that you talk about accounts for only 2.4% to 4.6% of the budget, and consolidation would only decrease that small fraction by a small fraction. Compared to the budget for the entire theoretical combined school district, the resulting savings would be MINUSCULE.
It’s funny … Jim Mangan complains about District 108 and their supposedly wasteful and corrupt administration, but District 108’s administrative costs are 2.4% of their budget and 303’s are 4.6% … almost DOUBLE that of District 108 on a percentage basis. Maybe Mr. Mangan needs clean the motes out of his own eye before he starts disparaging the illusory timbers in 108’s.
4
knightindragonland
// Jan 16, 2007 at 2:21 am
Thanks for adding to the discussion, Rick.
5
Jean
// Jan 16, 2007 at 2:47 am
303 is $47,876 for 04. The annual pay increases are part of the contracts no different than other union employees. I don’t believe the bonuses are part of the pay issue. But something tells me no website is conviencing enough for those who will not learn. Time spent only insulting and demonising, the ungulable.
Wasting my time here, I’m going to check on the space invasion, or some serious site. Like I said a few days ago, I tried. Goodby.
6
knightindragonland
// Jan 16, 2007 at 3:10 am
Have fun. Thanks for the link.
7
Tom
// Jan 16, 2007 at 5:55 am
knight,
It seems that we are wasting our time with some of these people. They just can’t get past this consolidation issue. I guess if this was to go through and we end up paying more taxes, we can say ” I told you so”, but who really wants that? You can throw all the facts at them and you still lose. Why? Because you won’t tell them your name. LOL.
The problem is that you need to have your name at the bottom of the editorial page 20-30 times a year to have any credibility in this town. If you do then of course you must be right. Wake up people! Do your homework. If you graduated from our fine school system then you should know how to research for yourselves. Do the math. Where are we going to save money?
As parents, get involved. Go to the school functions. Volunteer to help.
Your kids could be in district 150. Wake up people. Both of these districts are doing their jobs, yet a few want to tarnish their records.
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