School board approves raises

Some of Jay School Corporation’s administrators and coaches will be getting raises. So will its support staff.
Jay School Board approved the increases, which total about $94,000 annually, during its Monday meeting. They are retroactive to Jan. 1.
All administrators and Jay County High School boys basketball coach Chris Krieg, girls basketball coach Kirk Comer and football coach Tim Millspaugh also had their contracts extended through June 30, 2017. The only exception was superintendent Tim Long, whose contract had already automatically rolled over to that date.
The raises effect all administrators with the exception of those who continue to have the $1 medical insurance benefit. Those are business manager Brad DeRome, special education director Annie VanHorn, director of teacher effectiveness Jeremy Gulley, director of testing Trent Paxson, Jay County High School assistant principal/athletics director Steve Boozier and Long.
Most of the 16 remaining administrators saw raises of between $1,600 and $2,000, or 2 to 2.5 percent.
The largest increase of $9,721 went to Redkey Elementary principal Julie Gregg, whose previous salary had been set when she was named the school’s acting principal. At that time, she did not yet have her administrator’s license. Now that she is licensed, her salary was bumped up to bring it in line with other elementary principal salaries, which range from $68,404 to $75,007.
The total increase for administrators’ salaries comes to $33,524 per year.
The board also approved raises of $500 — to $9,000 — for Krieg, Comer and Millspaugh for their coaching jobs. Elementary school basketball coordinator Jeff Davis got a $250 bump to $1,200.
Also approved were larger stipends for principals of “A” rated or four-star schools. Those were bumped to $1,500 from the previous $1,000.
Most support staff members received raises of between 30 and 50 cents per hour for a net increase of $60,000.
Raises of 30 cents per hour went to administrative office secretaries, crossing guards, the deputy treasurer payroll coordinator, the custodial supervisor, custodians, food service workers, instructional assistants, secretaries, latch key supervisors, interpreters, supervisors for out of school suspensions, the licensed athletic trainer and bus drivers who are on an hourly rate. Those receiving 50-cent raises are health clerks, maintenance workers and bus mechanics.
Bus drivers who are paid a daily rate received a raise of $1.75 per day — to $73.25. Other increases included $600 annually for the lead nurse, $400 for home school advisors and $200 for information technology network support analysts.