Fireworks fly at D-2 board meeting over changes, salary

The Harrison School District 2 board on Thursday voted to keep Superintendent Mike Miles’ salary the same as it was this year.

He will receive $194,616, the second-highest base pay of the 17 superintendents in the Pikes Peak region.

His contract renewed automatically earlier this month and was on the consent agenda. The vote came at the end of a contentious meeting in which the board’s defenders and detractors of a performance-pay plan for staff and a board-governance policy voiced intense opinions, including catcalls.

Numerous times, board member Victor Torres interrupted the meeting to criticize policies and board members for unprofessional behavior, including yelling at him during an executive session. His wife, Yesenia, got up to defend him. Board member Keith Varney said he had already apologized for one argument they had.

At one point Torres, who grew up in a tough neighborhood, jumped from his seat and held out his arm, showing a scar from a bullet wound he'd gotten at a park as a youth. "See this bullet hole? " He then said he didn't want Harrison kids to suffer similar fate if their education is not good. He felt that $54,000 was being wasted on the governance-policy implementation instead of students. "It's trash," he said.

Critics say it gives too much power to the superintendent.

Miles defended the new policies and the board’s hard work. He stood up in the board meeting and said, “It's unfair to demonize the board. You can take a good look at me. I’m at the helm of this operation and will be going forward with changes that will help the students.”

He noted that change is difficult, and brings out people’s “worst fears and best hopes.”

Board President Deborah Hendrix said she wants a meeting with Torres and other board members to discuss how to get along. She said there will also be community meetings so people can talk about all these district changes.

In other business, the Collaborative Decision Making Team has recommended a 3 percent increase for support staff and an increase of one pay step for all teachers and other licensed professionals not yet on a new performance-pay plan.

The district has 820 licensed staff members, including teachers. So far, 685 have been placed on the performance-pay plan, and about 550 of those will receive salary increases averaging $3,977, officials said.

The average salary is $47,358 for those on the new plan, which has nine compensation levels. It will cost $2 million.

The money comes from cutting a stipend plan for department chairpersons, teacher attendance incentives, and savings made by going to zero-based budgeting. Under that plan, departments start from scratch instead of starting with last year's budget.

Before the meeting, about 50 picketers outside including parents and union members complained about the superintendent’s salary, the new performance-pay plan and new board-governance policy. James Tucker, a retired Harrison teacher, said the superintendent’s salary should be on par with community salaries.

“If he is dedicated to students, he should take a pay cut,” Tucker said.

Hendrix said before the meeting, “We don’t pull a salary figure out of a hat.” She said the district financial officer compared contracts for all superintendents in the region, including salaries, bonuses, incentives and district challenges. "We are a challenging district and are undertaking a major transformation, and the skill set Miles brings is highly valuable."

Miles was hired to turn around the chronically underperforming district in southeast Colorado Springs. More than 70 percent of the students are impoverished. Under his leadership, the district was taken off state probation last year, and test scores have improved, though there is much to be done.

Miles could become the highest-paid superintendent in the region if the board votes in May to give him the full $35,000 performance-pay incentive that’s in his contract. That would bring his total package to $266,516,  including $8,400 in auto allowance, $13,500 in insurance benefits and $15,000 in retirement contributions.

The superintendent with the highest base pay in the region is Mark Hatchell of Academy School District 20, who makes $197,960. However, he does not receive performance pay. Hatchell’s total compensation is about $219,590.

Nicholas Gledich, of Colorado Springs School District 11, has a base salary of $180,000. But he has a $40,000 performance incentive, which will be decided in September. If he receives all of it, his compensation would be $239,958, including other benefits. Falcon School District49 Superintendent Bradley Schoeppey is paid $180,000, and he’ll be eligible for $10,000 performance pay this year, and up to $20,000 the following year. His total compensation, including the bonus, could be $229,912.

In terms of student enrollment, D-11 is the largest district, with more than 29,000 students. D-20 has 22,600 students. D-49 has 14,400 students, and D-2 has 11,300.