St. Charles School Leaders to Get Raises Board Approved 3 Percent Increase for Administrators Throughout District

St. Charles school district administrators’ salaries will increase by an average of 3.14 percent for the 2005-06 school year after the school board approved the raises Thursday.

Salaries for all of the district’s 72 administrators total $6,661,287, making the average annual salary $92,518. District officials would not release the salaries of individual administrators without a Freedom of Information Act request.

Individual raises were capped at 3.4 percent. School board members set the cap after considering public and private pay data from the Department of Labor. Raises were based on several factors, including a change in responsibility or position and job performance, district spokesman Tom Hernandez said.

“These raises balance our efforts to meet the community’s charge to attract and retain the best possible employees to support all of our students, and be good fiscal stewards,” said Superintendent Barbara Erwin said in a statement.

Pay for 35 district administrators who are returning to the same positions in the fall will increase by an average of 3.12 percent, with none of the raises exceeding 3.4 percent. The 3.12 percent average raise is less than the 3.45 percent average raises received last year by employees whose jobs were not changing.

The 72 administrators include two new positions approved by the board – assistant superintendent for K-12 operations and director of staff services in human resources.

New personnel were also hired this year to fill existing administrative posts including an elementary school principal, a curriculum specialist, a chief information officer, an assistant director of early childhood, and a high school principal.

The school board approved the raises in a 6-0 vote at a special meeting. Board member Karla Ray was absent.