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Schools

Budget Passes, But Supe's Compensation Questioned

The school board sets the district's spending plan, but a proposal to increase the superintendent's retirement contributions draws criticism. A vote is expected Thursday.

The board of trustees voted 4-0 on Thursday to approve the 2011-2012 budget, but faced opposition to a proposal to increase Superintendent Jeffrey Felix’s retirement contributions.

Now that the state budget has been approved and will likely be signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, city schools will receive the one-time payment of $816,000 that was due to the district last year.  

But it will “trickle in” said Randi Allen, assistant superintendent for business services. The district may not receive the full amount until July 2012. 

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It has not been set aside for a specific expenditure, but a trustee, Dawn Ovrom, suggested finding a way to compensate teachers with the money.

The budget generated no comment from the public, but a proposal to increase Felix’s compensation did. Three people opposed the plan, including Jennifer Landry, an eighth-grade humanities teacher. A dozen or so people who attended the meeting applauded the critics.

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“This was a slap in the face to the district’s 3,000-plus students and its 130-plus staff,” Landry said.

Felix’s annual salary is $175,000. The board recommended bypassing a raise and instead offered him $70,000 in retirement contributions spread over four years of a new contract. A report described the sum as consistent with packages offered to other San Diego-area superintendents.

The terms are backloaded; the largest sum, $35,000, would be placed in his retirement account at the end of his contract, which, according to the report, would “incentivize the superintendent to continue to be employed with the district.”

Board President Bruce Shepherd said that he and his colleagues offered the package to the superintendent because Felix is that valuable to the district.

Katie O’Keefe, co-president of the teacher’s union, said the union does not have plans to formally oppose the superintendent’s new package.

The trustees are likely to vote on the superintendent’s new contract at a special meeting at 7:30 a.m. July 7 at the district office.

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