Salaries for the Central High School Board were restored by a 2 to 1 margin at a special meeting of the electors Tuesday night.
The special meeting was the result of a petition that was submitted by the resident Mike Cassity last month.
A motion to restore the salaries to the levels they were before being removed by a vote of the electors present at an October meeting passed 45 to 21 Tuesday night.
Several residents spoke on both sides of the issue before the vote.
Resident Tom Reilly said he was at the original meeting and that the idea that the salary removal was a personal insult to the board was a misconception.
“It wasn’t against them,” Reilly said. Instead it was intended as a statement about the economy. And since then, Reilly said, he felt continuing the removal was a statement about accountability for a the increase in school taxes this year.
Cassity said accountability was important, but removing the salary was not the way to get it.
“The best means of accountability is whether we vote them in or out of office,” Cassity said. “If we have a problem, those with new and better ideas … why don’t you run for the board.”
Shane Gerber, Salem School Board president, challenged the board not to take the salary removal as a slight. Salem School Board members have not been paid for several years.
“It doesn’t bother me to not get paid,” Gerber said. “It shouldn’t bother you guys to not get paid.”
But Central board President Mary Ellen Pearsall said she did take it personal, at least when it happened.
“I felt like I was slapped in the face and punched in the stomach at the same time,” Pearsall said.
Annual board salaries are:
- President, $2,400.
- Vice president, $2,400.
- Treasurer, $2,400.
- Clerk, $2,400.
- Members, $2,180.
having attending this special meeting I came away with two impressions. I realize that that people despise getting taxed when they feel they are getting little from those taxes. The amount of anger in the room regarding a small amount of actual increase was amazing. This anger, I believe, is lingering from the improvements the school is making, not the Board salary. The amount of the salaries is close to the number of households in the district, or $1 per house, not a bad deal if you ask me. IF this school is going to continue to attract great teachers, it has to be improved. The Committees that were formed out of the citizenry, developed and provided report after report about this issue. To have the amount of ‘Monday Morning Quarterbacking” is expected, but to be this angry is surprising and a little amusing, given the amount of time that this process took.
Secondly, when attendees speak in percentages, that is potentially misguided. I would encourage looking at this in real dollars. In our case our taxes went up, $136 for the reasons stated in the meeting. So an additional $11.33 a month…….which is less than what I pay for the Kenosha News, well below what I pay for Diet Coke and coffee in a month. And now that Fish Fry season is in full force, that is one fewer plate of fried food a month. I for one believe, I get way beyond the value of that 11 buck increase. I realize the former items are choices, likewise, living in this area is a choice. We choose to live here because of the schools and location and the overall environment.
I look forward to attending more board meetings, for educational purposes, and light entertainment.