CATAWISSA RR - The head coach of the Southern Columbia Area's girls soccer team is not happy with the new salary schedule of the athletic and activities positions that was approved by the school board Monday night.
Derek Stine, who will be making a salary of $4,000 in the upcoming 2013-14 school year, said he has been coaching for 14 years and is only making the starting salary of a coach in his position.
Furthermore, newer coaches are making more than he is, he said.
"It's almost as if the longer you work here, the less value you are to the school," he said.
Stine brought up some of the inequalities in previous meetings, and Director Rick Steele, who is chairman of the activities committee, explained the board addressed some of Stine's concerns in the new salary schedule.
In fact, he said, the district is spending an additional $5,000 compared to the previous year.
"It doesn't solve it, but it is our attempt to move toward it," Steele said.
Vice President Charlie Porter explained the district moved away from a point system that rewards years of service - no matter who is in a position or how many years they have previously served.
Stine said he understood the board's hardship at finding additional revenue to plug into salaries, but he asked the board to take another look at it.
Head football coach James Roth is the highest paid head coach at a new salary of $10,499. The lowest paid head coach is Kenda Roth, who is the head cheerleading coach, at a new salary of $2,000. Head field hockey coach Tricia Hoffman is paid $4,000; head cross country coach Lanny Conner, $3,500; head boys soccer coach David Hall, $3,500; head girls basketball coach Kevin Collins, $3,258; head wrestling coach Jerry Marks, $4,500; head baseball coach Randy Young, $4,379; head softball coach Albert Cihocki, $4,991; head girls track and field Kristen Deihl, $3,500; and head boys track and field Lanny Conner, $3,579.
James Roth is also paid a new salary of $11,000 for athletic director, $1,425 for weight room coordinator, $1,938 for assistant track and field coach and $7.70 an hour (at a maximum of 70 hours) for weight lifting instructor in the summer.
The positions and salary schedule were unanimously approved 6-0. Directors Mike Yeager and Charlene Cove were absent from the meeting.
In other business, the board also approved:
- A decrease of $65,570 related to change orders to the middle and high school renovations and additions project.
- Final payment to Jay R. Reynolds Inc. in the amount of $29,920.14 for plumbing work completed on the high school and middle school project. The total contract and payments equals $1,285,258.
- The retirement of Cynthia Doby from the position of middle school English teacher, effective June 19. She had been with the district since August 1993. The board approved Leanne Roughton to replace Doby at a salary of $46,736.
- The employment of Kristie Anderson for the position of business education teacher, effective Aug. 22, at a salary of $43,480.