Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-01-20 adjJanuary 20, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting with the School Board) (Page 1) 534 A joint meeting of the Board of Supervisors and the School Board of Albemarle County, Virginia, was held on January 20, 1988, at 3:30 P.M., Meeting Room 5/6, County Office Building, McIntire Road, Charlottesville, Virginia. This meeting was adjourned from January 13, 1988. PRESENT: Messrs. Edward H. Bain, Jr. and F. R. Bowie (arrived at 3:38 P.M.), Mrs. Patricia H. Cooke (arrived at 3:43 A.M.), Messrs. C. Timothy Lindstrom (arrived at 3:35 P.M.), Walter F. Perkins and Peter T. Way. ABSENT: None. OFFICERS PRESENT: County Executive, Guy B. Agnor, Jr., Superintendent, N. Andrew Overstreet, Assistant Superintendents John J. English and David C. Papenfuse and Director of Personnel, Carole A. Hastings. SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Messrs. Charles S. Armstrong, William F. Finley, Clifford W. Haury, Charles S. Martin, and Dr. Charles R. Tolbert. Agenda Item No. 1. The meeting was called to order at 3:38 P.M. by the Chairmen, Mr. Way and Dr. Tolbert. Dr. Tolbert introduced Messrs. Haury and Finley, the two new School Board members, to the Board. Agenda Item No. 2a. Pay/Classification Plan Revisions, Consultant's Report. Dr. Hastings introduced Mr. Kenneth A. Long, the principal consultant assigned to the study by Public Administration Services. Mr. Long said the County originally hired Public Administration Services to review the Pay/Classification Plan. As the study progressed, the consul- tants realized'that there were some problems with the clerical employees and so they undertook a complete classification study of this area as well. Clerical employees were asked to fill out Position Description Questionaires, which provided information on what the employee did and how long each task took to complete. This information, Mr. Long. said, told the consultants whether an employee's position title was in keeping with the employee's duties. Sometimes an employee in a clerical ~osition will be promoted to a secretarial position without a corresponding ~hange in duties, simply because it is the only way this employee can get a raise. Mr. Long said there are also instances in which a clerical employee iD assigned extra duties without receiving a pay increase. Mr. Long said retaining employees at the!lower leVels of the classifica- tion plan is one of the County's biggest probSems. A second problem the County faces, he said, is its difficulty in h~ring people to fill upper level managerial positions at the Salaries offered by the County. In the past, he said, the County has compared salaries for employees in similar jobs within a fifty mile radius to sea what it believes to be fair salary levels for County employees. Mr. Longlsaid he believes this fifty-mile radius is a fair determinant of salary levels:lin non-managerial positions. For professional and managerial positions, however, Mr. Long said, the County should consider a new, higher salary scale, based on salaries earned outside a fifty-mile radius, including such localities as Prince William County, the City of Roanoke and Chesterfield County. Mr. Long then explained how he evaluated~jobs using the position appraisal method. This method rates jobs based on seven factors including knowledge, supervision, scope of decision and!actions, level of problem- solving, and application of authority. Excep~for teachers, all County employees are on the same pay scale. Mr. Lon~ said the teachers' pay scale did affect other salaries. For example, he said, social workers in the Schools are about five pay grades ahead of social workers in the County. According to the position appraisal method, sdcial workers in the County and the Schools share similar duties. He recon~nended that employees with similar jobs be classified and paid the same. Mr. Long said the County studies its Pay/Classification system every three years and, every three years, switches to a different system. He said 535 January 20, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting with the School Board) (Page 2) Public Administration Services recommends that the County use the same classi- fication system every year. He said it usually takes ten years to decide whether a system is working well, with only minor adjustments made every few years. Completely changing theclassification plan every three years confuses employees, he said, noting that there were employees in both upper and lower levels who were not sure who their supervisor was or what their responsibili- ties were. Mr. Long also recommended that the County do for all its employees what Public Administration Services did for the clerical staff: issue Position Description Questionaires, study the responses and make sure employees are paid for what they are assigned to do. He recommended that the Personnel Department be in charge of reclassifying employees. He said Dr. Hastings would propose how this plan might be implemented. Dr. Hastings recommended that 120 of the 183 job classes be adjusted to a higher level as a result of the market study and internal realignment. These readjustments would cost $317,000: $160,000 for adjustments made to positions in local government and $157,000 for adjustments made to the Schools division. Dr. Hastings said 675 employees would be placed in a higher salary classifica- tion; 371 of these employees would receive an increase in pay. A pay increase occurs for employees whose current salary is below the entry level of their new range. With an unemployment rate of only two percen~ in this area, Dr. Hastings said, the County must offer competitive salaries,. She said the County recently experienced problems filling some positions. Dr. Hastings added that nine of the 183 job classifications were adjusted downward. Salaries for employees in these classifications would be frozen until the pay structure, or the entire pay grade system, rises to accommodate these salaries. Dr. Tolbert asked why school bus drivers were not om the new job classi- fication list. Because of their unusual work schedules, Dr. Hastings said, the Personnel Department planned to place school bus drivers in a separate category. She said the Personnel Department was also working to establish a competitive salary level for school bus drivers. ~ Mr. Lindstrom asked what other areas were affected by teachers' salaries, besides the salaries of social workers. Dr. Hastings sai~ the salaries of administrators were affected as well, because both the consultants and the personnel staff believed there should be at least a ten pgrcent difference between the employees being supervised, or the teachers, And the employee who supervises, or the administrator. 'I Mr. Lindstrom asked if this reasoning resulted in School administrators being paid more than their counterparts in General Government. Dr. Hastings said there were more administrators reclassified upward i~ General Government than in the School division. Mr. Lindstrom asked if the ~elationship between the salaries of School administrators and teachers provided the impetus for the proposal to raise the salaries of supervisors in General Government. Mr. Long said the labor market was responsible for the increases in teachers' salaries. In determining the salary levels of ~ther County employ- ees, Mr. Long Said, he and other consultants considered b~th., the teacher's salaries and the labor market: what other localities were paying their employees. Mr. Way said it was important to remember that the C~unty's career ladde~ plan allows teachers in some cases to earn as much as an ~dministrator. Mr. Perkins said he thought the consultants should cdnsider the theory of supply and demand and how it may influence salaries. Mr.i'Long said lowering a salary because there are many applicants may lose the Cotu~ty the best employ- ees. Mr. Perkins said he still does not understand why t~e County should increase an employee's salary to $33,000, when the employee was hired two years ago for $26,000 from a pool of at least eight applicants. Mr. Long said one salary should not be examined in i~olation from the salaries of every other employee in a particular department. If someone is supervising employees who make almost as much as their supervisor, then that January 20, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting with the School Board) (Page 3) 536 supervisor may not be motivated to accept the managerial responsibility necessary for the General Government to function smoothly. Mr. Lindstrom said he thought it would be helpful to have a comparison between the pay/classification plan recommended today and the plan recommended three years ago. Mr. Lindstrom said he wanted to know if there were any changes in the forces outside the Schools and General Government that influ- ence salaries, such as the supply of potential employees and what other localities were paying. To go back to the last study done by a consultant, Dr. Hastings said, would mean going back to 1983, when the School division employees were on a different pay scale. Three years ago, she said, the personnel staff examined job descriptions and compared them with the results of its yearly market study. This is the first time a consultant has looked at all the position classifications for both the School division~and General Government on the same pay schedule. She said she thought it would be difficult to compare this study to any done earlier. Mr. Agnor said the staff hoped that thelBoard and'the School Board would consider jointly adopting the proposed pay/classification plan for two rea- sons: to insure that both Boards adopted the same plan and to expedite the preparation of the budget. Mr. Bowie said he was prepared to support the recommendations of the study and allow the details to be worked outiduring the budget process. Mr. Armstrong said he agreed with Mr. Bowie. Mr. Perkins said he did not think haste~was necessary. He said he would like to have time to receive comments from the public. Mr. Lindstrom said he agreed with Mr. Perkins. Although he served on the committee overseeing the consultant's study and has had the opportunity to study the proposed pay/classification plan, Mr. Way said, he did not anticipate approving this plan today. He said he thought that Board and School Board members who were~not on this committee would need more time to review the plan and receive comments from the public. He said he endorsed the report in principle, but appreciated the caution shown by the .other members of both Boards. He added that imembers of the committee also received a more detailed report than the one ipresented today, which could be made available to both Boards. Mr. Way saidit was important that both Boards approve the same document. Agenda Item No. 2b. FY 88-89 State Funding, Discussion of. Mr. Way asked Mr. Overstreet to brief the Boards on ~he recent budget presentation by the State Secretary of Education. Mr. Overstreet said the Secretary of Education indicated that schools would receive $3,000,000 in State funding fo~ education in the next biennium. It appears likely, he said, that State aid to localities will become increas- ingly affected by the locality's ability to pay, based on the composite index. He said the County's composite index rose from .58 to .63, which will result in a decrease in State funds for education. Soon after the budget presentation, Mr. ~Overstreet said, he received a telephone call from the State Department of Education stating that the budget information received earlier was incorrect. No information is being released at this point. He said the Superintendents will be briefed in Richmond on Thursday, January 21, 1988. Agenda Item No. 2c. Capital Projects, Status Report on. Dr. Tolbert asked Mr. Papenfuse to report on the capital projects both under construction and in the planning stage. Mr. Papenfuse said the Burley Middle School project was about 95 percent complete. To bring the project within budget~ Mr. Papenfuse said, the fol- lowing items were deleted: the renovation of'the office area and remodeling the Annex into classrooms. Mr. Papenfuse said Burley Middle School faces a 537 January 20, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting with the School Board) (Page 4) shortage of classroom space unless the Annex is remodeled. He said he would like to work with the contractor to develop a cost for the completion of the project as originally outlined. Because the CIP process does not allow new projects to begin until July, he asked the Board to consider the project outside the CIP cycle. Mrs. Cooke asked why there was a shortage of classroom space at Burley after all the work done there recently. Mr. Papenfuse said the heating and cooling systems were replaced and the library renovated, but no new classrooms were added. He said there was also an increase in enrollment at the middle school level. Mrs. Cooke asked how many more classrooms were needed. Mr. Papenfuse said the proposed project would add two classrooms. Mrs. Cooke asked if two classrooms would suffice. Mr. Papenfuse said "yes". Mr. Papenfuse said the new Meriwether Lewis school would be ready for occupancy in late July. Mr. Lindstrom asked if more classrooms would be needed at Meriwether Lewis. Mr. Papenfuse said the preliminary report of enrollment projections stated that the student population for the coming year can be housed at Meriwether Lewis. Mr. Papenfuse said he would like to delay planning any additions to the school until the CIP process when the needs of the surrounding school districts can be discussed. Mr. Lindstrom said he thought enrollment information should be reviewed as soon as possible. He said the new school was planned carefully, yet it appears there is still not enough space for classrooms. ~Me said the public will not understand that the shortage in classroom space lis the result of changes in the teacher-pupil ratios. In the future, he S~id, he would like changes like this to be brought to the Board and staff's ~attention while a new school is being planned, rather than after it has been built. Mr. Papenfuse said growth in the area also contributed to the shortage of classrooms. Mr. Lindstrom said this is a no-growth area and there have been no subdivisions approved there. Mr. Papenfuse said the planning staff esti- mated that 500 students would attend Meriwether Lewis in .its first year; instead, 565 students will be attending. Whatever the reason, Mr Haury said, Meriwether Lewis is full before it even opens. He said he thinks it goes against common sense to use trailers for classrooms at a new school. If new classrooms are needed, he said, they should be added before the school is finished. Dr. Tolbert said more students could be put into each classroom if teachers' aides were hired to satisfy the requirements of' the new teacher- student ratio. Dr. Tolbert said there could be as many as 28 students per classroom; without teachers' aides, there could be only 2~ or 23 students per classroom. ~ Mr. Lindstrom said he thought the School Board should let the Board know how many students will be in each classroom before additions to the school are discussed~ Mr. Bowie agreed. On the Stone-Robinson project, Mr. Papenfuse said, p~eliminary grading has been completed. The project is proceeding slowly dueito the weather, but the contractor knows of the September 1 occupancy clause in his contract. Dr. William Sugg said the School Board has agreed to delay the opening of the new Crozet replacement school to September, 1990. He,said surveyors are currently surveying a piece of land being seriously considered for the site. The School Board is expected to approve the educational s~ecifications for the school at its meeting on Feburary 8, 1989. These specifications should be on their way to the architect by the second week in February~ Design and review of the Crozet project should begin as soon as the architect receives the specification and will continue through November, and possibly into early December. He expects construction to begin in March, 1989. Mr. Way asked how many students the new Crozet school replacement would hold. Dr. Sugg answered "400" ~ January 20, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting with the School Board) (Page 5) 538 Mr. Lindstrom asked if the Planning Commission had been consulted about the potential site. Dr. Sugg said "yes". Dr. Sugg said the con~nittee has begun the educational specifications process for the Rose Hill school. Next week, the committee will review the sites proposed by the Planning Commission. An architect will be selected in February or early March. The school is scheduled to open in September, 1990. Mr. Bain asked how many acres would be reqUired for the Rose Hill school. Dr. Sugg said the school would need between 16 and 18 acres, depending on the topography of the area. Dr. Sugg said the process of determining educational specifications is underway for Stony Point and Yancey schools. An architect must be selected sometime with the next month. These projects are to be completed by Septem- ber, 1990. Mr. Way asked if there was to be a change in policy concerning the building of school gymnasiums in the new schools. Will gymnasiums be built on the basis of community need, he asked, or educational need? Dr. Sugg said gymnasiums were built on the basis of the school's needs and capacities. Mr. Papenfuse said that schools with 400 or more pupils will have a 5000 square foot gymnasium. Then there will not be a full-size gymnasium in the Crozet replacement school, Mr. Way said. Since the Crozet replacement school is slated to hold 400 students, Mr. Papenfuse said, it will have a full-size gymnasium of 5000 square feet. While the gymnasium is based on educational needs, Mr. Agnor said, it meets the needs of the community of Crozet, as well. Dr. Tolbert said he served on the gymnasium committee for the Crozet replacement school and emphasized to fellow committee members that a!school of this size would be granted a 5000 square foot gymnasium. If citizens wanted a bigger gym, the money to pay for it would have to come from somewhere other than the School budget. He said the Board has suggested that the School division work with the Department of Parks and Recreation to fund gymnasiums that serve both the school and the community. He said representatives from the Department of Parks and Recreation have stated that a 5000 square foot gymnasium should meet the needs of the community of Crozet. Mr. Way asked if Board members wished to comment on Mr. Papenfuse's request to consider funding two additional classrooms for Burley Middle School outside the regular CIP process. Mr. Bain said he was in favor of going ahead with the study to develop a cost for the completion of the project as originally outlined, if those two classrooms are needed. Agenda Item No. 2d. Personnel Commonality Matters. Mr. Agnor said he and Mr. Overstreet will prepare for a discussion of issues of commonality between the school and local government employees at the next meeting. Agenda Item No. 2e. Other Matters not Listed on the Agenda. Mr. Way requested that Mr. Agnor and Mr. Overstreet schedule the next joint meeting between the Board and the School Board when information on additional classrooms for Meriwether Lewis and Burley schools is available. 539 January 20, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting with the School Board) (Page 6) Agenda Item No. 3. At 5:23 P.M., motion was offered by Mr. Bowie and seconded by Mr. Lindstrom that the Board move into executive session to discuss personnel matters. There was no further discussion. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Mr. Bowie and Mr. Bain, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. Mr. Tolbert adjourned the School Board at 5:25 P.M. At 7:30 P.M., the Board reconvened into open session and immediately adjourned.