Too much money for school district staff
In B.C., each school district superintendent is paid a taxpayer funded salary consisting of base salary, benefits, pension, and other for a total amount paid for by the taxpayers.
The Cowichan Valley school district has a student enrolment of 7,730. The Cowichan Valley school superintendent was paid $273,228 in 2019, $240,054 in 2018, and $236,012 in 2017.
The Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district has a student enrolment of 15,250. The Nanaimo-Ladysmith school superintendent was paid $237,082 in 2019, $205,321 in 2018, and $182,408 in 2017.
The Delta school district has a student enrolment of 15,600. The Delta school superintendent was paid $272,923 in 2019, $249,635 in 2018, and $240,434 in 2017.
The Prince George school district has a student enrolment of 12,894. The Prince George school district superintendent was paid $230,763 in 2019, $226,843 in 2018, and $190,529 in 2017.
The Saanich school district has a student enrolment of 8,000. The Saanich school district superintendent was paid $218,905 in 2019, $207,741 in 2018, and $173,865 in 2017.
The Kamloops school district has a student enrolment of 14,500. The Kamloops school district superintendent was paid $256,418 in 2019, $254,817 in 2018, and $223,039 in 2017.
Out of the six districts listed, why should the Cowichan Valley school superintendent be paid more than the other five districts listed?
From 2018 to 2019, the Cowichan Valley school superintendent had a pay raise of 13.8 per cent in relation to Nanaimo with a pay raise of 15.4 per cent, Delta with a pay raise of 9.1 per cent, and Prince George with a pay raise of 1.7 per cent, Saanich with a pay raise of 5.4 per cent, and Kamloops with a pay raise of .6 per cent.
One hundred per cent taxpayer funded pension amounts to the superintendent’s pension fund was $26,876 for Cowichan Valley, $26,249 for Nanaimo, $20,749 for Delta, $23,480 for Prince George, $21,640 for Saanich, and $25,963 for Kamloops.
All other management salaries are all over the place too. Sample secretary-treasurer wages for Cowichan in 2019, was $194,144, $225,738 for Nanaimo, $207,522 for Delta, $190,605 for Prince George, $177,199 for Saanich, and $216,397 for Kamloops.
All wages are approved by each district’s local elected school board, and us the taxpayers suffer for this total nonsense, big time.
There is no consistency in wage rates across the B.C. school districts. All management jobs should be the same rate of pay in each district regardless of the number of student enrolment. Why? Someone working in accounts payable can pay 100 bills a month or 500 bills a month. No more in wages because of more bills to pay.
The present situation has to cease immediately, if not sooner.
The time has come, that the senior government in Victoria, is to be the only authority, in setting up B.C. school district management wage policy and guidelines, and wage increase approvals.
The irony of all of this is that the people being paid these kinds of wages do not need any pay raises, ever. At these outrageous wage amounts, the wage rates should be frozen until all of them retire.
Also included in the above wage rates, is that all school board management receive a monthly car allowance that helps toward insurance, fuel, and mechanical repairs.
Why should your Cowichan Valley school superintendent be paid the highest wage, the largest pension contribution, and a pay raise of $13.8 per cent in relation to Kamloops pay raise of .6 per cent with Cowichan having 6,770 fewer students than Kamloops.
Your local Cowichan Valley elected school board have no financial background, whatsoever. In private business, these kind of outrageous wages would put a business in to bankruptcy.
The Cowichan Valley school board chair person is paid $17,000 per year and the school board trustees are paid $13,000 per year.
I am forwarding this letter to the B.C. NDP minority government minister of education, Rob Fleming, and also to Dan Davies, B.C. Liberal opposition critic for education.
Unbelievable!
Joe Sawchuk
Duncan