3 administrators' pay boosted in unanimous vote

Contract extensions for administrators and two support staff members were approved this week by the Glen Lake Board of Education.

The board voted unanimously to approve one-year contract extensions, through the 2008-09 school year, for Superintendent Joan Groening, elementary Principal Kim Wright, secondary Principal Kevin Kelly, computer systems director Kathy Becker, and maintenance director Joe Hobbins.

Two percent across-the-board pay increases were included in the contract extensions, bringing compensation next year to $86,700 for Groening, $83,640 for both Wright and Kelly, $49,197 for Hobbins, and $47,950 for Becker.

Action came a month after the board completed a successful evaluation of Groening, who was the district’s previous business manager before being promoted to superintendent. After eliminating the middle school administrator’s position at this time last year, the district adopted a “team approach” in which Groening works closely with Wright, who in addition to her duties as elementary principal is in charge of special education services. Kelly oversees discipline issues and has worked to align curriculum with state expectations and new graduation requirements. All work cooperatively with Hobbins and Becker.

In related business, following a 20-minute closed door session the board approved a $13,000 settlement with Bryan Burns, the former middle school principal. Burns, who has since taken an administrative position with Manistee Catholic Central schools, taught for 12 years at Glen Lake prior to his appointment as middle school administrator in 2004. He was not offered a teaching position when the board eliminated the middle school administrator’s position even though he was tenured before taking the principal’s post.

Burns appealed the decision to the state Tenure Commission; the settlement is a result of an administrative hearing held last month. In exchange for the $13,000 lump sum, Burns agreed to resign his position and give up his tenure rights.

In its motion to approve the settlement, the board said it did so “only to avoid additional legal expenses and continued distraction of its administrative and teaching staff.”

Also part of Monday’s monthly meeting was adoption of a layoff resolution, which lists middle school teacher Taylor Vann, the junior-most teacher on the Glen Lake staff.

Vann will be displaced next fall with the return of teacher Carla VanFarowe, who has been on a leave of absence for the past two years while teaching in the Middle East.