While a raise for Saskatchewan's teachers has become the focus of a mediation process, the staff working at Living Sky School Division's central office will be getting a three per cent raise.
The board of the division decided last week in an in-camera session to grant the central office staff the three per cent increase they were asking for, the same increase as last year. One board member, Garth Link, voted against the motion.
Central office is the administrative office in North Battleford that provides support to the board of education, schools, staff, students, and the general public. Central office staff comprises the division's superintendents and senior staff, including the director of education and the chief financial officer, plus administrative assistants.
Director of Education Randy Fox told board members during the meeting he and Human Resources Superintendent Brenda Vickers are planning to conduct a review of central office job descriptions and organization capacity in the near future. The review will be done with a view to identifying and filling any gaps in capacity and finding the best fit in responsibilities among senior staff members.
At the suggestion of board chair Ken Arsenault, board members also revisited the subject of putting their own indemnities on the central office salary grid rather than putting any increase to a vote each year, traditionally at the board's annual organizational meeting.
"Any time politicians give themselves a raise, it looks bad," said board member Roy Challis, however he didn't feel strongly one way or the other.
Neither did board member Ron Kowalchuk, although he noted it would avoid the situation where, if no increases are put in place over several years, the board has to play catch up and vote in a bigger increase.
Todd Miller said putting the board's indemnity on the central office grid would provide transparency.
Glenn Wouters and Garth Link opposed the idea.
"Many people don't get an increase every year," he said.
Wouters agreed with Link, saying SAHO (Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations) board has gone with the same remuneration for nine years.
Board members Ronna Pethick, Jack Snell, Kim Gartner and Bob Foreman declined to comment.
No motion was made to change the current tradition of setting the renumeration annually, allowing the board the option of choosing not to take an increase in any particular year.
