The proposed contract for Tim Throne, the next superintendent of Oxford Schools, is expected to save the district $25,535 a year for the next three years, according to School Board Trustee Kim Shumaker.
It expected to be voted on at the 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22 board meeting at Oxford Middle School.
Shumaker, along with Board Treasurer Dan D’Alessandro and Trustee Mike Schweig, worked as a committee to negotiate the proposed contract with Throne.
‘It was really a pleasure to work with him (Throne),? Shumaker said at the April 15 regular board meeting.
According to the proposed contract, Throne would take over as superintendent from Dr. William Skilling on June 1, at which point Skilling will be a consultant to Throne for three months, until his retirement on Aug. 31 (see contract details below). Throne’s contract would run until June 30, 2018. His base salary is proposed be $170,000 for 2015-16 school year, which is a $30,000 increase from his current salary as deputy superintendent. The salary amounts for years 2016-17 and 2017-18 will be subject to determination by the board at that time. However, Throne requested that his contract state that if administrators or teachers agree to reductions in salaries, that he as superintendent would also be subject to a similar reduction.
?(A) few of the points I think are important to note is that Mr. Throne requested we remove the buy-back of vacation days; he prefers to cover the expenses of his new cell phone; he wanted to pass on iPad and laptop provision (by district), merit pay and something I thought was particularly admirable was he asked to use sick days or vacation days that he’s not used and actually (contribute) those to another employee as an act of kindness,? Shumaker said. ‘I just thought that was very admirable.?
According to the contract, Throne would be allotted 30 vacation days a year and would be able to transfer up to 10 of his unutilized vacation days to any current employee of the district.
Shumaker noted they negotiated reductions in car allowance and annuity and mileage reimbursement, which brought his total compensation package to $270,719, compared to Skilling’s current total compensation package of $296,254.
In an e-mail to the board, D’Alessandro, who was unable to attend the meeting due to his job, also highlighted the key points that Throne requested.
‘Please let Kim know I appreciate the time working with her during this process,? he said in the e-mail. ‘She put together great information for us to use as a framework and (I) ultimately agree with the contract the board sees today.?
In a phone interview, Schweig told this reporter he felt the negotiations with Throne went ‘extremely well.?
‘I think we ended up with a contract that was fair to Tim and fair to the district. It will allow us to go forward with our new superintendent in a quick and expedient fashion. I’m glad to have the contract settled because that always can be an issue and I’m glad it didn’t get into anything like that.?
Trustee Joyce Brasington thanked both the committee and Throne for working collaboratively together. However, she only had one area of concern as it related to the contract. It dealt with ‘other work,? which would allow Throne as superintendent to ‘undertake speaking engagements, writing, lectures or other professional duties and obligations when such activities do not in any significant manner impinge upon time and effort required to be exerted by the superintendent in the discharge of the superintendent’s responsibilities under this contract. Any such activity shall be discussed by the superintendent and the Board of Education, and where possible, agreed upon.?
‘I just want our superintendent to be in the district,? she said. ‘I want him to be our employee. I don’t want him to leverage this position to make money consulting somewhere else.?
‘I just feel strongly that the superintendent needs to be our employee in the district,? Brasington continued. ‘I don’t foresee it being a problem with Tim, but I am just really concerned about how much time the current superintendent has spent out of the district consulting.?
Brasington suggested the ending verbage be changed to ‘any such activity be discussed by the superintendent and the Board of Education, and mutually agreed upon.?
Board President Jim Reis requested more time to look it over as to Brasington’s request prior to the next board meeting.
Brasington also asked if it would be legal or possible for the board to know how much money the superintendent made from outside consulting.
‘I’ve had a concern like this for the last seven or eight years (and) I think this is a real opportunity to say the superintendent works for Oxford and for the board,? she added. ‘Tim is going to be our superintendent. I don’t doubt that by a heartbeat, I just think we need to protect ourselves.?
‘Joyce, I’ll make it really easy for you,? Throne responded. ‘I don’t have a problem with any of it. If you want to put it in, I’m good with it.?
During board comments Vice President Carol Mitchell, also expressed her sentiments to Throne. ‘It sounds like you put in some very unusual recommendations to the benefit of the district and their employees on your contract and I deeply appreciate that,? Mitchell said. ‘It just shows how selfless you are.?
Reis agreed.
‘It really points out what an ethical, outstanding person you are and how you care about the district by what you want in the contract,? he added.
Skilling’s consultant contract
Working as a consultant under Throne, until his retirement, Skilling’s proposed base salary would be $180,145, which is a $16,376 increase from his current $163,769 base salary as superintendent. Also as compensation, Skilling would receive a monthly autombilie allowance of $500 a month, and a mileage stipend of $250 a month as well as a term life insurance policy of $250,000 during the term of the contract.
According to the duties under the proposed contract, ‘The Consultant shall be available, at reasonable times, to consult and converse with the Superintendent of Schools as deemed advisable by the Superintendent of Schools. The Consultant further agrees to obey and fulfill the policies, rules and regulations as established from time to time by the Board of Education of the School District.?
Like Throne’s proposed contract, Skilling’s allows for ‘other work,? which would allow him ‘to serve as a consultant other districts and other educational agencies or associations, lecture, engage in writing activities and speaking engagements, and engage in other activities which of are short-term duration at his discretion.?
‘If he’s going to be here June, July, August as our consultant working on our behalf and our Tim’s behalf, I would like to not have it be his discretion,? Brasington said. ‘If he is our employee, why is this at his discretion??
Reis thought ‘that is a good point.?
‘I think we should work that out,? he said. ‘Tim Throne would basically be his boss and he would be working for Tim and I would think he would have jurisdiction over what Bill Skilling does.?
‘But that’s not how this contract reads,? Brasington added. ‘So, I would be really uncomfortable voting on this contract next week without major revisions.?