Schools
Conrath, McCuen take home raises
* Worthington schools' 'overworked and underpaid' superintendent and treasurer get four-year contracts.
By PAMELA WILLIS
Published: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 1:11 PM EST
Worthington school board members approved new four-year contracts for the district superintendent and treasurer this week, giving each a 2.75 percent raise in salary.

The board met Monday, Nov. 10 at the Worthington Education Center.

Superintendent Melissa Conrath's contract gives her a 2.75 percent raise, which brings her annual salary to $145,700 the first year, with identical salary increases written in the contract for Aug. 1, 2009 and Aug. 1, 2010.

Treasurer Jeff McCuen's contract is similar, with the 2.75 percent increase bringing him to an annual salary of $115,600, with identical increases on the same dates.

Both contracts terms are from Aug. 1 of this year through July 31, 2012.

"Both Melissa and Jeff got excellent evaluations from the board and both told us they were looking for longevity, not a high salary increase," said board President Jennifer Best. "They also got five days more vacation time."

The contracts also stated the board will "pick up and pay" the employee's share of the School Employees Retirement System contribution.

Both Conrath and McCuen were given 25 days of vacation in their new contracts.

Board member Marc Schare said the SERS pickup and other benefits made the superintendent's raise amount to almost 7 percent.

Best disagreed, saying, "I want that number checked out -- it's a 2.75 percent raise on her base salary."

McCuen said he and Conrath "didn't take any board benefit for health insurance."

"Melissa and I, in our contract, if we want to tap into the district health insurance, will each pay 100 percent of the premium," he said. "That helps to avoid a 28 percent increase in insurance costs for the board."

"Don't get me wrong, I think we are getting great value for both the superintendent and the treasurer," Schare said.

Board member Charlie Wilson said, "Anyone who complains that our superintendent and treasurer are overpaid should look at what other comparable districts pay.

"I would say these two (Conrath and McCuen) are overworked and underpaid," Wilson said.

Board member David Bressman agreed.

"It's well-known that Jeff came into the treasurer position under very difficult circumstances, when he could have gone anywhere else," he said, "and when I first met Melissa, I told her, 'Get ready for Worthington -- it's not Big Walnut.'"

Not enough credit

Also at this week's meeting, three members of the Bosserman family -- parents Steve and Linda and daughter Stefanie Schulyk -- spoke regarding the district's Post Secondary Enrollment Options program.

The program permits high school students to enroll in college on a full- or part-time basis to complete courses for high school and-or college credit.

Schulyk, a Worthington Kilbourne student, said she's earned 53 credit hours at Ohio State University, with an anticipated 60 credits by the time she graduates from Kilbourne in June.

Because her grades from OSU were "not weighted," she has a 3.49 grade-point average at Kilbourne, with a 3.84 GPA at OSU.

"I was personally crushed that the decision was made to not weight post-secondary grades," Schulyk said. "Advanced placement grades are weighted, but postsecondary grades are counted the same as a freshman gym class. This has resulted in a GPA lower than 3.5 for me, which will mean I won't qualify for many scholarships, or be able to get into many good colleges. I don't understand why I'm not receiving the recognition for what I'm doing."

Steve Bosserman said her GPA also kept his daughter out of National Honor Society.

"The current weighting of her grades does not truly reflect the level of accomplishment she has achieved academically at OSU," he said. "We consider this to be unjust, unfair and completely devoid of the spirit of the PSOE program.

"Because no student at WKHS has ever accomplished so much with this program, we consider this action to be deliberate, purposeful and singularly focused against Stefanie, therefore discriminatory," he told board members. "And since several of you on the board are attorneys, you know that when a person is confronted with such blatant discrimination, that person has little recourse but to pursue clarification in a court of law."

Bosserman pointed out a paragraph in the Worthington City School Policy that states: "Credits earned under the postsecondary enrollment program are included in the student's grade-point average. College credits count as the equivalent district grade. If the district has a weighted system, the high school principal-designee determines the equivalent district grade for the college grade."

Best told the family she appreciated them coming to the meeting, and said she "will look into how other districts manage this program and get back to you."

The next board meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 24 at the Worthington Education Center, 200 E. Wilson Bridge Road.




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