HAVERHILL — When city schools found no qualified candidates to fill the vacant assistant superintendent's position, the district decided to limit the advertised position's duties to strictly financial responsibilities.
Instead, the other duties under the previous position - left vacant when Michael Pfifferling took a position in Marblehead in June - will be divvied up and delegated to employees already on the payroll. The district wants to give employees taking on the new duties raises from a share of the estimated $30,000 in saving expected by the title change.
While the move addresses budget concerns, it has sparked criticism over proposed pay raises for administrators while lower-wage school employees struggle.
After four months of advertising, the search committee decided it would be best to repost the position under a new title with a more targeted set of responsibilities. What was once an opening for an assistant superintendent of finance and operations is now advertised as a chief financial officer (CFO) position. School officials said the change may attract a wider range of applicants, specifically those with the financial background.
Superintendent Margaret Marotta said operations affected and reassigned include supervision of the Transportation Department, Instructional Technology Department, Security Department, and Facilities Department. The Superintendent, herself, would assume responsibilities for supervising the Facilities Department.
The Transportation Department would be overseen by Dianne Connolly, director of Title 1 and Community Outreach, while Maureen Irons, director of Safe and Supportive Schools, would be responsible for the Security Department.
Bonnie Antkowiak, chief of Teaching, Learning, and Leading, would oversee the Instructional Technology Department.
Additionally, Marotta suggested Antkowiak be promoted to the title of Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning, and Leading to reflect the new responsibilities she’d be picking up. The move would also acknowledge Antkowiak as the superintendent’s replacement if needed.
The assistant superintendent of finance and operations was originally budgeted at $181,157. With its vacancy and the CFO position posted at $140,000-$150,000, there is $30,000 in savings.
Marotta recommended the $30,000 be allocated to Antkowiak, Irons, and Connolly for assuming additional responsibilities.
“This adjustment ensures no additional costs to the district,” Marotta said, “while recognizing the efforts of those stepping up.”
This proposal troubled some members of the school committee as well folks making public comments.
Rosaline Anavisca, an educational support professional at Haverhill High, spoke about her wait for a pay raise. Anavisca said her job has become increasingly difficult despite her pay rate decreasing during the past few years.
Barry Davis, president of Haverhill Education Association (HEA), stepped to the podium afterward wearing a shirt reading “#HEASTRONG.” Davis, who is also a teacher at Golden Hill Elementary School, said he was concerned about repeated pay raises for administrators while the lowest-paid employees continue to struggle.
“They can’t afford printer paper, building maintenance, tissues for classrooms,” Davis said, “but we can hand out $30,000 in raises to the people at the top?”
Davis said creating a new position isn't fair because lower-wage school employees are also assuming new roles regularly, according to Davis.
“I’m asking for things to be fair here; for this city to take care of its lowest-paid employees,” Davis said. “Because it is not doing that right now. It’s taking care of the top.”
Committee member Jill Story echoed the public comments, sharing her concerns about the proposal.
“We’re asking people who have a lot of responsibilities already to take on more,” Story said, “which makes me question how it’s possible.”
Story said she was questioning the redistribution of the $30,000 to some of the highest-paid folks in the district while ESPs such as Anavisca have not seen a raise in more than two years.
School Committee member Thomas Grannemann approved the reassignment of duties and the money following those who assumed the positions. Grannemann suggested the budget moves should be reviewed by Haverhill Public School’s Finance Subcommittee.
Attorney Paul Magliocchetti agreed with Grannemann, suggesting Story attend the meeting with the Finance Subcommittee.
In reviewing the school district’s history with this position, Magliocchetti pointed out that at one point city schools had as many as five assistant superintendents.Magliocchetti thanked Marotta for devising this plan and said its wise to promote from within the district rather than creating a new position.
“That’s how you keep people here,” Magliocchetti said. “That’s how you build a district and you build a community.”
The School Committee voted to send the proposal to Finance Subcommittee for further consideration with only Story dissenting.
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