The Oxford Board of Education approved two-year contract renewals for three of their top administrators and approved a new administrative position at its regular meeting last Tuesday.
Tim Loock, assistant superintendent for business and operations, will see a 4 percent increase in his wages, bringing it to $116,443 plus benefits.
Jim Schwarz, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, received an 8 percent salary increase due to added responsibilities and to align it with positions in other districts of similar size. His salary will also be $116,433 a year plus fringe benefits.
Deputy superintendent Nancy Kammer will be making $118,382 plus benefits, which is a 1.5 percent increase from last year.
Each of these administrative employees did not receive salary increases for the 2007-08 school year and were the only ones put into a salary freeze until now.
Due to the retirement of Dr. Jerry Oermann, who was the director of special education, this year, the board approved combining his position with a director of secondary instruction position and hired Denise Sweat as the Associate Superintendent for Student Services for a salary of $115,000 plus benefits.
Superintendent Dr. Bill Skilling said they combined the two positions because the district couldn’t have afforded two separate positions in Oermann’s absence and that Sweat was interested in doing both.
‘We were looking for somebody with strong curriculum background for special education because there’s a lot of changes that need to happen with our special education curriculum to make sure it’s aligned with the new state standard and the new state mandates for graduation,? he said. ‘She has that.?
Sweat, a resident of Oxford, is currently the director of special education for Grosse Pointe Public Schools and served in that same capacity for Lake Orion Schools for seven years.
Along with her special education responsibilities, Sweat will also oversee the district’s counseling and guidance programs and instructional services for the secondary schools.
With the increased graduation requirements set forth by the state, Skilling said Oxford has been doing a lot of research into new curriculum strategies that would benefit the students.
‘We needed a person on staff that could help steer this project from our end,? Skilling said. ‘It would be very difficult for Jim (Schwarz), with all the curriculum instructional assessment responsibilities he has, to do that on his own.?
Although Sweat will handle the instructional services for the secondary schools, Schwarz will retain those responsibilities at the elementary level.
In her many years working with special education departments, Sweat has learned that keeping her approach simple is the best way to meet the students? needs.
‘It’s each and every child, each and every day,? she said. ‘I believe all children are entitled to an appropriate education, regardless if they’re special needs or not.?
Skilling said the new position ‘fit comfortably where the budget is,? adding that there’s going to be an increase in the district’s fund balance this year.
‘We’re worried about a year from now and beyond because the state foundation grant increases that we’ve been receiving the last several years doesn’t come close to covering the actual increase in expenditures the district has each year,? he said. ‘Fortunately, we’re not like districts around us who are having to make cuts.?
Like the other administrators, Sweat’s contract will run from July 1 of this year until June 30, 2010.