BOE approves annual business, salaries
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By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
During its annual meeting November 21, the Coosa County Board of Education elected officers and conducted annual business, as well as the regular monthly meeting business.
With all Board members present, Board President Tiffany McCain turned the meeting over to Superintendent of Education David Stover Jr. for the election of officers for the upcoming year. This is done annually toward the end of the year, as well as establishing regularly scheduled meetings.
Ultimately, McCain was nominated to once again serve as president of the Board, and Sharon Massie was again nominated to serve as vice president. Both were unanimously approved and elected to those positions.
During the November annual meeting, the Board did not discuss dates for the regularly scheduled meetings going forward. That will be brought up and voted on at the Board’s December meeting instead.
Also during the meeting, the Board took action on three agenda items regarding salaries and raises.
The Board unanimously approved and adopted a resolution relating to Act 2024-331, which was passed by the Alabama Legislature recognizing that it is reasonable that board of education members may be paid $900 per month.
The Coosa County Board of Education resolution reads, in part, “Whereas, the Board’s attorney, Mark Boardman, has recommended the Board of Education raise Board member pay to $900 per month, and whereas, a lower salary may deter qualified individuals from serving on the Coosa County Board of Education; … now, therefore, be it resolved, on the recommendation of Board counsel, that Board of Education compensation be set at the level determined by the Alabama Legislature to be reasonable, $900 per month.”
The resolution further reads that the increase cannot and will not be effective until Board members are elected or re-elected.
Board members also took action regarding the compensation for the chief school financial officer, a position currently held by Amy Davis, who has not received a raise in several years, if ever.
During brief discussion, it was stated that the salary for that position in Coosa County is “significantly lower” than at other boards of education. As such, the Board unanimously approved an increase of $20,000 per year for the CSFO position to make it more competitive.
Also regarding salaries, the Board unanimously approved and adopted a resolution relating to the superintendent’s contract and pay.
With at least one of the school system principals making as much as the superintendent did, the Board discussed increasing the superintendent’s salary to make the position competitive and comparable to other systems.
As of September, the Alabama Department of Education reported the superintendents’ salaries for the 2024 fiscal year. Of the Alabama’s 67 county school systems, 35 superintendents make more than $150,000 annually.
Coosa County has been on the lower end of the pay scale for superintendents, with it being one of nine county systems in the state whose superintendent is paid at or below $120,000.
In light of all of this, the superintendent’s salary went through a process wherein CLAS, or Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, stated what needed to be in the contract or resolution and made suggestions for the salary and other items to be included in the resolution. This was then reviewed by Board attorney Mark Boardman before being presented to the Board members for consideration.
The resolution unanimously approved by the Board reads, in part, “Recognizing that the superintendent is responsible for administering the school system, the Board recognizes that it is appropriate that the superintendent should be the highest paid employee of the Board. Accordingly, the superintendent’s salary shall always be $25,000 more than the ‘salary’ paid to any other employee of the Board of Education.”
It further reads that “the superintendent will be paid an annual salary of $150,000 and all benefits provided to any other 12-month employee of the Coosa County Board of Education.”
The resolution further provides for an additional 10 vacation days beyond what is provided to other 12-month employees of the Board, recognizing the stressful nature of the position and the “24 hours a day, seven days a week nature of a superintendency.”
The resolution also provides for a stipend being paid of $1,000 per month to the superintendent, which is included in the regular paycheck and subject to income taxes, with that money to pay for business expenses of the superintendent not covered elsewhere in the resolution.
It has been more than four years since the superintendent of education in Coosa County has received a raise.
In later discussion, Superintendent of Education Stover stated that if the system was still in a deficit then raises would have never been brought up. However, he mentioned that the raises are to help plan ahead and look to the future, wanting the county to be competitive and ensure that the Board can hire quality employees.
“I’m a very conscience person when it comes to that,” Stover said. “I never think I deserve it. We want to keep moving forward, being positive and moving ahead.”
Also during the meeting, the Board unanimously approved declaring items as surplus and authorizing their sale through GovDeals.com. Those items include buses 2008-01, 2008-03, 2008-04, and 10-65, as well as cafeteria items to include a utensil cart, heated hot bar and Traulsen Heated Pass thru.
The Board also unanimously approved a non-certified recommendation for a bus driver and two individuals as substitute teachers/aides/lunchroom workers. However, the names of those individuals will not be disclosed until the minutes are approved at the next meeting.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Coosa County Board of Education will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, December 19.
