School board approves contracts
by 6-1, sets tax levy for 2010-11

An action for approval of three executive contracts turned into a contentious discussion at this week’s Grosse Pointe Board of Education meeting, ending in 6-to-1 approval.

Board member Tom Jakubiec objected to the structure of the contracts, which mimic the teachers’, approved last spring; their new agreement with the board links salaries to fund equity. If equity – the district’s cash on hand – falls below 10 percent of the total budget (roughly $10 million), they could see pay cuts. If it rises, the opposite would occur.

“I see a fundamental flaw having executive administration, who sets the budget estimates … in the compensation packages,” said Jakubiec.

Board member Fred Minturn had an opposing view.

“It really doesn’t seem to me any different than a private-sector bonus program, or some other sort of incentive program, where the leadership and the management and the work forces all align,” Minturn said. “It’s an alignment of mutual interest.”

The board also unanimously approved the tax levy for 2010-11. Board treasurer Brendan Walsh and assistant superintendent Chris Fenton made a presentation showing that Proposal A has exerted downward pressure on tax levies when enrollment is in decline, as it has been since 2004.

In other business:

• A survey conducted in May and June of this year by Banach, Banach & Cassidy was presented by Cynthia Banach and showed that Grosse Pointe students, parents and staff are “overwhelmingly happy” with their school district.
• A gift worth $188,850 from the Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education was approved and accepted by the board. The gift includes $180,000 for Smart Boards for the middle and high schools, as well as $8,850 for middle school writing success software.
• The board also approved the purchase of 472 copies of two textbooks: “Outliers” and “Into the Wild,” at a total cost of $10,214.08.
• Superintendent Suzanne Klein announced that State Superintendent Michael Flanagan will visit Oct. 13. That will also be College Night at Grosse Pointe South High School.

The next regular meeting of the board is scheduled to take place Monday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. at South High School.

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