Wow!
Makes no sense!
"curmudgeon" <briticanlankey@bresnan.net> wrote in message
news:CKOdnb11l6AKaS3fRVn-hw@bresnan.com...
>
> School board OKs $1.2 million for Ralph Baker
> Four-year contract with VESD makes him the highest paid school chief in
San
> Bernardino County
> By GRETCHEN LOSI/Staff Writer
>
>
>
> VICTORVILLE - Victor Elementary School District Superintendent Ralph
> Baker's
> new contract makes him the highest paid superintendent in San Bernardino
> County.
>
> Baker, who said he will retire in four years, will spend them earning
more
> than $1.2 million.
>
> "It looks out of balance but not when you consider the fact he's been
with
> the district for 20 years," school board President Karen Morgan said.
"He's
> close to retirement and it's important that he feels he's taken care of
at
> this time."
>
> Baker's contract goes into effect July 1, with a salary jump from
$140,000
> annually to $250,000. He will also receive an additional $200,000 to be
> paid
> in a lump sum Aug. 1 along with a lifetime health and dental benefits
> package for him and his spouse paid for by the district.
>
> "It's the last contract I'm signing with the district prior to
retirement,"
> Baker said. "What they paid for was continuity of leadership when they
need
> it the most."
>
> The four-year, $1.2 million contract was approved as the district faces
> challenges with extremely rapid growth.
>
> Some parents are concerned their classroom tax dollars are being spent on
> an
> administrator instead of the students.
>
> Heather Gillin has children in the district and said as a taxpayer she
> resents the fact the board is "padding an administrator's retirement."
>
> "That's money that needs to go to our kids, our teachers. It's
> irresponsible
> and unacceptable. That's our money, not the board's," Heather Gillin
said.
> "I don't want to hinder him having a good life, but this is ridiculous to
> me."
>
> Four of the district's five board members voted in favor of the contract.
> Morgan said their decision won't leave the district unable to provide
> resources for its students.
>
> "I don't believe we are taking funds away from the students by spending
the
> money in this fashion. I feel we are giving more to them by providing
them
> the leader to give them an education," Morgan said. "We understand why we
> were elected and what we are responsible for. This wasn't approved
without
> much thought, conversation and disagreements."
>
> Board member of 16 years Monte Worle voted against the contract. He said
he
> attempted in vain to discourage the other members in voting to approve
the
> salary hike, calling it extreme.
>
> "Our governor only makes a $175,000 salary. Baker's $250,000 is too
> extreme.
> It's way out of line. That money could have gone a long way in the
> classrooms," Worle said. "His pay is unheard of, way more than what other
> superintendents are making."
>
> Baker's new salary is not only substantially more than all county
district
> superintendents, but more than $80,000 more than County Superintendent of
> Schools Herbert Fischer.
>
> Supporters of Baker's new contract support the decision, saying it was
> based
> on his longstanding merit.
>
> Andrew Jaramillo, a longtime High Desert insurance agent and financial
> planner, worked with Baker to help negotiate the contract saying he's
worth
> every penny.
>
> "He's very accomplished and in my opinion under paid," Jaramillo said.
"If
> he was in the private sector he would command a salary in millions of
> dollars."
>
> Baker has the longest tenure of any superintendent in the county.
Teachers
> in his district are the highest paid in the High Desert and he is the
only
> superintendent in the county to have passed a bond issue in the past
three
> years.
>
> "I know he's accomplished and I think he's a good man, but what he has
done
> is his job," Lupita Gonzalez of Victorville said. "These are our tax
> dollars. He may deserve a raise but this is obscene."
>
>
>
> Gretchen Losi may be reached at 951-6233 or
gretchen_losi@link.freedom.com.
>
>
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