Lee approves superintendent and teacher contracts

LEE – Things are shaping up for the 2013-2014 school year.

A contract with Alfred W. “Al” Skrocki, retired Adams-Cheshire Regional School District superintendent, to be Lee Public Schools’ part-time superintendent has been approved.

Under the leadership of newly-appointed Chairman Thomas Consolati, the Lee-Tyringham Superintendency Union unanimously voted in favor of the per diem deal with Mr. Skrocki at $440 a day.

That figure was drawn from his previous salary, $115,000, at Adams-Cheshire.

He will work at least three days a week, with the option of four or five as needed.

“I understand how school districts work,” Mr. Skrocki said, acknowledging he will likely be needed more often. “I’m not going to be holding to three days a week.”

The schedule will be determined by Mr. Skrocki and the chair of the Lee School Committee.

“It’s a 12-month contract with flexibility built in,” Chairwoman Susan Harding said.

Mr. Skrocki’s one-year contract begins on July 1, when current Superintendent Jason P. “Jake” McCandless takes over the superintendency at Pittsfield Public Schools.

Teacher contract

Under the leadership of returning Chairwoman Harding, the Lee School Committee and Town Administrator Bob Nason also approved a three-year contract – fiscal year 2014 through FY ’16 – with Unit A (teachers) of the Lee Education Association.

“There was a lot of turf covered in this year’s negotiations,” Dr. McCandless said.

Most notable is a one-and-a-half percent salary increase for each step and column, along with the same increase to stipends for coaches, club sponsors and the like. A $50 increase on all levels of longevity was also added for FY ’15 and FY ’16.

Additionally, $4,000 was added to the athletic director stipend to account for someone who is not a teacher with set free periods to do the work for that position (such as the dean of students – as is the case now – or a guidance counselor). This brings the AD stipend to $10,090.

The monetary increase to the contract is estimated to be around $275,000, according to Mr. Nason.

Language incorporating the state’s new educator evaluation system is also in the new contract, and the current professional development committee will be reworked to create a joint labor management committee to address issues surrounding the evaluations.

“It’s a working group that will meet over the next four to five years,” Dr. McCandless said.

Other changes include adoption of the town’s new insurance plan.

The school committee’s approval came after the LEA’s approval of the contract earlier the same day.

Posted by Catherine M. Krummey on June 20, 2013. Filed under Education News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry