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Polson school board OKs raises for administrators

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POLSON — School district 23’s board of trustees passed a two percent raise for both Superintendent Linda Reksten and the administrative staff at the Sept. 9 meeting. The raises were tabled at the August school board meeting so information on other Class A schools could be collected.

Administrative salary raises have been similar to, if not identical to, the teachers’ raises in the last number of years, Board Chair Caryl Cox said. 

However, all administrators receive fully paid insurance, which teachers and classified staff do not. This year insurance costs increased by almost five percent, according to Pam Owen, district clerk. Also longevity or experience factor was reinstated during the 2011-2012 school year, so long term administrators received an income jump.

While it doesn’t have to do with a pay increase, a change to paperless board meetings would save the district money. Trustee Caroline McDonald brought up the time, tree and money saver at the August meeting. 

“If all the board members wanted to go paperless,” McDonald said, “the entire board packet could be scanned as a single pdf file and uploaded to the website.” 

Most trustees responded favorably, and McDonald will continue researching this idea; but another idea, that of having two board meetings per month was met with resistance. 

Trustee Tim McGinnis said he worried about what he called “scope creep,” that not only would there be two regular meetings but also two special meetings. 

It’s tough for Trustee Cindy Lanier to attend numerous meetings due to her work schedule, she said.

Another point raised was nobody can predict how long item 14 or 16 or any item on the agenda will take, Trustee John Lambeer said. 

Cox said she would prefer meetings remain “kind of fluid.”

In other business, all the roofing products have arrived for the Polson High School roof, equipment has been loaded to the roof and work should begin Sept. 8 or 9. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be Oct. 14 at 

5:30 p.m.  

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