Special Magistrate makes decision on step raises

After months of anticipation, Mark Sherman, the Special Magistrate for the Santa Rosa County School step raise decision, has made a final synopsis on the yearly raise that has gone through months of debate. 

The annual raise, which came under fire last year, is granted to teachers based on their performance in the classroom every year.  The annual salary increase, which has been in effect for over 40 years, was systematically awarded to all teachers until 2005.  Following the 2005 school year, the raise became based off of classroom performance in order to save funds.

On Thursday afternoon at 3:11 p.m., Sherman’s e-mailed his final decision to school board and Santa Rosa Professional Educators members. 

The magistrate decided to keep the step for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year.  After the end of the 2009-2010 school year, the magistrate said the SRPE would have to negotiate the step with the school board each year following until funding improves.

“Beginning on the last day of the 2009 - 2010 school year, placement on the salary schedule shall be negotiated each year,” the document stated. “For the remainder of the 2009 - 2010 school year, all personnel shall continue to receive pay reflecting a step on the schedule for each year of full-time service in Santa Rosa County for which the teacher received a satisfactory performance evaluation.”

The decision, which was supposed to be made by Dec. 7 of last year, was delayed due to a lengthy illness Sherman suffered. Following this decision, the Santa Rosa Professional Educators, who are fighting with the school board over the raises will have 20 days to accept or reject the decision. 

Rhonda Chavers, president of SRPE said the document still has a ways to go before any decision can be made on it.

“With the document stating that we have to negotiate the steps every year, it is likely we could go through this same process again,” Chavers said.

Advanced degree pay, which was an issue brought before the Special Magistrate along with the step raise, was decided to be based on the current year’s pay, and would not increase

The Special Magistrate denied the 3 percent increase in the salary schedule and an additional $1,100 to the top of the instructional scale, which was granted by the SRPE.

“Indeed, the board made clear and convincing arguments to the Special Magistrate that funding pay increases has been one of its historical priorities but that it was unable to continue addressing this priority in the unprecedented financial situation that it currently faced," the document stated.  “However, based on the foregoing analysis, the board has absolutely no funds available (other than savings) for either one of these proposals.

“To grant these proposals would be against sound economic policy.”

Santa Rosa School Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick agreed with the statement and said that the school district is in a financial squeeze, and may be for a while, stating the magistrates decision was “an accurate description of where we are at right now.”

“Our financial difficulties at this time are real,” Wyrosdick said.  “People say we hide money, and he (Sherman) has looked at us six ways from Sunday and sees no evidence of us doing this.”

Chavers said the magistrate made a sound decision on all of the issues, and the decision solved all but one decision on their part.

“The Master’s degree pay (advanced degree pay) was something we didn’t get accepted,” Chavers said.  “We had 2 out of 3 recommendations accepted, that was favorable.”

On Monday, Jan. 18 a letter from Sherman was sent to school board members and the SRPE stating that the special magistrate had been sick on and off for nearly a month and a half.  According to the letter, Sherman said he would work on a decision and try to have it in by the end of the week.  That decision was delayed until Feb. 4. 

Wyrosdick who said the decision was a reflection of what the board has been arguing over for the past year said the magistrates letter was clear and concise on the board and his points.

“This document affirms what we have been saying over the past six to eight months,” Wyrosdick said.  “We presented our case to the Special Magistrate, and despite his decision, he clearly describes where we stand financially right now.”

It is now up to the SRPE negotiation team to review the document and come up with a decision in the impasse process.

Following the decision by the SRPE, the school board will be granted 20 days to accept or reject the decision.  From there, the vote will be handed to a set of employees that work alongside the union known as bargaining unit members. If both sides reject the decision, the discussion will go into a ratification process. 

During the school boards decision, they will go into what is known as a “black-out period, where they will cut off any communication with Paul Green, the school board attorney on the decision.  The board will be deemed an independent legislative body until a determination is made.

“We have a history of keeping our employees at a high priority.  When we have resources, they go to compensate our employees as best as we possibly can, and I say that from the heart,” Wyrosdick said. “What the magistrate put in here (decision) is a general reflection of the status we are in.”

Right now, the SRPE president said they would likely ride out the 20 day period of time, but still has more reading to do.

“I still have to read more thoroughly through the 33 page decision,” Chavers said. “At this point, we’re still reviewing it.”