Board OK’s pay for superintendent, employee units

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River Falls Superintendent Tom Westerhaus will continue to be the administrative head of the school district for at least the next two years.

Monday night the school board approved his contract that will run through June 30, 2014.

Westerhaus got a bump in pay, going from $168,938 to $172,532 for the new school year. He was also given an extra week of paid vacation, going from 25 days to 30 days.

His total package reflects the district’s standard for all employees of a 2.5% increase.

Westerhaus doesn’t use the school district’ health insurance plan, so the district doesn’t have to pay into that plan.

The new contract also makes Westerhaus eligible for a merit incentive bonus up to 2% of his base pay.

The annual bonus would be paid out if Westerhaus meets specific benchmarks. It’s also contingent on the “financial condition of the school district.”

“The River Falls School Board is pleased to have a contract with Superintendent Thomas Westerhaus for 2012-2014,” said board president Stacy Johnson Myers Johnson. “Dr. Westerhaus is an excellent, visionary leader.

“He is an extremely hard worker who truly focuses on the best interest of students while enabling teachers and staff to be outstanding partners in the education process.”

While Westerhaus was given a two-year contract, financial terms for the second year were not worked out.

Personnel Director Donna Hill said this isn’t unusual, since such terms for administrators are typically done one year at a time.

The school board also OK’d new one-year pay deals for three district employee groups: Secretaries, custodians and paraprofessionals.

The district employs 19 secretaries, 23 custodians and 83 paraprofessionals.

Each got the district’s standard overall pay/benefits increase for the 2012-13 school year of 2.5%.

Depending on work experience (steps), the new hourly pay range for secretaries will be from $14.68 an hour to $16.56.

For custodians, the hour pay range is $15.27 to $16.32. For paraprofessionals, $13.26 to $14.76.

Each group has four steps in its pay range. Increases averaged an extra 26 cents per hour.

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