The Observation Deck

On Monday our school board once again approved raises for both our Superintendent and Treasurer without releasing their full contracts and compensation details. As a result, stakeholders were not able to review and comment on them.

This appears to continue a practice of using closed executive sessions to increase administrators’ pay. This is especially disappointing given several of the School Board’s other recent financial decisions such as reducing our music staff and not fully funding the construction budget for the music department.

Please note that I am not commenting one way or the other on the contract or the amount of compensation. However, it is my belief that the School Board needs to end the back room deals and fully disclose all details of compensation packages. This is a matter of public trust and honesty with the Lakewood taxpayers.

If the School Board is confident that Mr. Patterson has to be paid over $260,000 to remain in our district then they should come out and tell the Lakewood taxpayers that. However, based on past conversations I have had with board members, I know that not only are they aware of what they are doing but that they are doing this solely because they are worried that residents will get angry if the information is made available. That is not how a school board, or any board, should be run.

In an effort to fully inform and educate the citizens of Lakewood I have put together a rough outline of the Lakewood Superintendent’s contract below. The numbers are rounded to make the math easier. A full copy of the 2013 contract (without the West Shore portion) can be found on my website http://www.calleriforschoolboard.info/S ... mation.cfm. I will post the updated contract as soon as they send it to me.

As you can see total compensation is well above the $173,353 salary figure the School Board speaks to.

Gregory “Woody” Calleri – Candidate For School Board

Follow my candidacy on Twitter (@Calleri4SB) and FB (facebook.com/CallerForSchoolBoard)


Superintendents Contract

• $143,000* Base pay for Lakewood
• $30,000* Pay for West Shore Career Tech
$173,000 What is called salary by the School Board

• $19,300* Payment from the district to a separate 401K (separate from SERS)
• $2,800* Superintendents share of FICA (Medicaid) – paying his taxes
• $19,500* 10% SERS “pick up” of paying Superintendents share of SERS retirement contribution.
• $19,000## Converted vacation days at adjusted per diem
• $27,000 SERS payment for district portion requirement
$260,600 Total cash compensation

Other benefits Family medical insurance (includes dental, prescription, vision, hospitalization), 40 vacation days, 5 essential business days, life insurance policy, all professional fees / memberships, 10 days paid family leave, 15 sick days (cash in at 1/4 ratio) $3,000 for professional development.

* It is written in the contract that this is to count for the purposes of calculating retirement benefits.

## Per diem - Contract states “per diem is total compensation including retirement pickups, annuity compensation, and supplemental contract by 227 days” not 250 contract year.

Mr. Calleri I am shocked by by Pattersons salary and benefits, he makes more than than the president of the United States. All of the benefits on top of his salary and all the days off. Of course they now want to put another levy against my home. Bulltacky! Do you mean to say that he makes $ 1,145.00 per day plus benefits? $ 260,000.00 divided by 225 working days.BTW doing business behind closed doors is a way of life in Lakewood for our public officials. Get used to it!

We pay him all that money, and yet, the true picture of our state grades for our schools were mostly D's and F's. I believe he has already retired from another district which means he is double dipping.

Lori Allen _ wrote:We pay him all that money, and yet, the true picture of our state grades for our schools were mostly D's and F's. I believe he has already retired from another district which means he is double dipping.

I would say there might be a much larger question here.

First a disclaimer, I know Jeff Patterson, I have a professional working relationship with Jeff Patterson.

Lori, while I admit the grades are bit lower than everyone would like. But let's look at a couple small issues. For the past 10 years at any given time 1/4 of the school are taking moving classes, in mods, no second rooms no, this school, no next school...

Also there is the skimming of the creme that goes on in this thread as well. As more and more "engaged parents" pull their "gifted children" out of public school for private schools and home schooling the grades will continue to fall. If you have ever skimmed cream from milk, you know, pretty soon all you are left with is white water. The trickle down from this is amazing. One lest "gifted kid" in a school room can pull 2 - 6 kids up in grades, and lifestyle. While charter school believers will quote the other, "couldn't learn in those classes."

BUT THE LARGER QUESTION FOR ME IS... Why before asking for Levy money?

I have worked with 4 Superintendents, each had specialties, I would rate them as Maddock V1, Jeffery Paterson, Diamond Dave Estrop, Maddock V2.

But it's funny, one day a handful years ago I got in a pretty heated discussion with Mayor Summers over why Joe Maddock was leaving the second time. He blamed it on one person, I had lunch with Joe often, and he had a list of reasons. Mike responded, "We need Joe Maddock in as Superintendent." Now seen in the light of looking back, with the grab of school property, and the current arraingements I now understand what he meant.

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james fitzgibbons wrote: ...he makes more than than the president of the United States.

The President shall receive in full for his services during the term for which he shall have been elected compensation in the aggregate amount of $400,000 a year, to be paid monthly, and in addition an expense allowance of $50,000 to assist in defraying expenses relating to or resulting from the discharge of his official duties. Any unused amount of such expense allowance shall revert to the Treasury pursuant to section 1552 of title 31, United States Code. No amount of such expense allowance shall be included in the gross income of the President. He shall be entitled also to the use of the furniture and other effects belonging to the United States and kept in the Executive Residence at the White House.

Source: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode

Thanks Peter, I was wrong. Obama works 24/7/365 with a ton more responsibility.

What ever happened to the $ 6,000,000.00 over run on building the new schools?