Letter To The Editor: School District Budget.
The views expressed are the writer's own.
The School District of Indian River County (SDIRC) operates on a fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30. The budget is created using this calendar cycle to fund items such as purchasing curriculum, buses, information technology, and paying salaries.
One notable funding item is the recent salary increase proposed for Dr. Moore, Superintendent of SDIRC. His December 2019 Employment Agreement provides a Base Salary of $180,000, Deferred Compensation of 5%, and a Relocation allowance of up to $10,000. Other benefits include $3000 for Civic/Community Relations expenses, $850 monthly car allowance, plus benefits such as Leave, Insurance, Certification Completion, Professional Association Fees, Technology, Travel, and Termination Pay. Also, there is a clause that allows additional line items and/or expenditures deemed necessary to be proposed via the budget process.
The proposed amended agreement was for the 2024-2025 school year. His Base Salary increased to $239,000, Deferred Compensation was increased to 7.8% and any future raises will be equal to the percentage for 12-month employees. This doesn’t include other benefits as identified above. If I did the math correctly, this equates to a $59,000 increase or 32.7% which is a 6.5% per year increase from 2019 to 2024. Typical Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increases for government employees are tied to GDP and tend to average somewhere between 1.5% and 2.5%.
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I do not dispute that he has done some good things for the district. Yes, there are new programs, more personnel, and some feel good efforts yet academics flounder. However, the student population has decreased, outdated millage rates are retained, annual budget requests increase, and COVID is history. Also, SDIRC data shows a decrease in traditional and charter school enrollment and a significant increase for Family Empowerment Scholarships. And let’s not mention test scores.
The board voted 4 to 1 for the increase, so it passed. Board members must remember that taxpayers fund public school, and their fiduciary responsibility is to spend wisely. Since We the People are paying the bill, I find it insulting how public officials so easily spend other people’s money without sufficient results.
Karen Hiltz, EdD
Sebastian, FL
Dr. Karen Hiltz served in the US Navy, retired from a career in Federal Procurement and has taught business courses in undergraduate and graduate programs. She was an appointed Planning and Zoning Commissioner, an elected School Board member, and has served as an appointed member of a Community College Advisory Board. Other experience includes private school board member and support to multiple education non-profits. As a former FL House Candidate, Dr. Hiltz works with local community groups, committees, and advises several education organizations. She’s authored numerous articles and two books. Dr. Hiltz holds a BS and MBA in Management, an Ed.D. in Leadership Studies, and currently resides in Florida with her husband Chuck (USMC retired) of over 40 years.
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Fred sed 2 Ben: “The presses r sweatin’ … with anticipation, that is.”
How easy to "spend other people's money." Well said. To spend as if it comes from your own pocket; now that's integrity. Also, I wonder how valid are the glowing attributions of academic success and, it seems, every aspect of school administration to justify such a substantial increase in compensation? Seems too good to be true.