District releases names set to receive market increase raises

by Tori Hamby

A list released by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools shows that 26 administrators will receive more than $10,000 pay increases during the next year.

While approving the budget last week, the  school board approved pay raises for 6,377 employees based on a Deloitte Consulting market-increase study conducted in 2007. The district did not release the names of employees receiving raises and new salary figures until notifying affected employees following the July 24 board meeting.

The salary adjustments align pay within CMS with market rates in similarly sized school districts, Tahira Stalberte, a CMS spokeswoman, said.

Principal and assistant principal pay figures were compared with school administrator salaries in Guilford, Wake, Forsyth and Union counties; Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Montgomery County, Md.; Louisville, Ky.; Atlanta; Memphis; and suburban Washington, D.C.

“The market adjustment was based on the job and the time spent in the job,” she said.

The raises were first approved four years ago as part of a market pay program, but the recession forced the district to freeze salaries. While teachers were not included in the study and cannot receive market adjusted raises, all CMS employees received across-the-board 3 percent pay raises.

The list of affected employees includes 15 principals who are set to receive more than $10,000 a year. North Mecklenburg area administrators who will receive heftier paychecks include:

• Former Bailey Middle School principal Jennifer Dean – $13,132.52 (current salary $80,696.28)

• Bradley Middle School principal Laura Rosenbach – $10,179.52 (current salary $74,081.28)

• Bailey Middle School assistant principal Mary Kelly – $1,105.87 (current salary $61,776)

• Bradley Middle School assistant principal Melvin Etheridge – $2,268.94 (current salary $60,612)

• North Mecklenburg High School assistant principal Kevin Binkley – $3,432 (current salary $64,064)

• Blythe Elementary School principal Patricia Johanson – $4,353.60 (current salary $76,600)

• Barnette Elementary School principal Dianna Newman – $8,100.48 (current salary $68,500)

The highest raise listed, $17,202, goes to Susan Norwood, executive director of the Teacher Incentive Fund – Leadership for Educators’ Advanced Performance program. The federally funded, five-year program expired at the end of the 2011-12 school year.

School district spokeswoman Tahira Stalberte said the program is still in the process of being phased out, but she could not say exactly when Norwood’s position would end.

“She will have to apply for another job within the district to continue,” Stalberte said.

Norwood makes $82,305.60 a year.

CMS also awarded hourly employees in “hard-to-staff positions,” listed as “bus drivers, skilled and trades areas,” market-increase raises. The school district reported most of those raises at 30 cents an hour. None of the hourly worker salary increases raised pay by more than a $1,040 a year, according to the data.

Board of Education member Rhonda Lennon, who represents the northern part of the district, voiced reservations before casting her vote to approve the budget.

Lennon said she didn’t believe that using pre-recession salary data yields fair salary calculations.

“I would have found it more palatable had there been an upper cup,” she said.

By the numbers

58 – Number of CMS principals receiving market increase raises

15 – Number of CMS principals receiving a market increase raise more than $10,000

38 – Number of CMS assistant principals receiving market increase raises