Safford Schools increases salaries, adds bus drivers
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After more than five hours of deliberation in executive session last week, the Safford School Board emerged with numbers and staffing in answer to the district’s Meet and Confer Committee’s re-quests. The district also contracted with a new food service company.
Safford certified staff originally asked for teachers’ base salaries to increase from $26,500 a year to $28,500. They received a base pay raise to $28,019, the 3.2-percent increase for each cell of the salary schedule given by legisla-tive action in 2006 and an increase for each cell of $1,600.
The teachers will also be able to receive any additional compensation provided by the state Legislature.
Thatcher received $28,500 plus a $500 bonus if contracts are signed within seven days of issuance.
Superintendent Dr. Mark Tregaskes cautioned the teachers about making comparisons with nearby districts because the increases did not contain the same components.
If the 301 and 101 money had been included, the base would have been more than $30,000.
“You have to ask yourself — do they include Prop. 101 monies?” he told the audience of educators.
Tregaskes said the district struggles with its transportation more than any other issue in the district because of its difficulty in finding and retaining new bus drivers.
The board approved increasing bus driving positions to a total of nine full-time positions with medical insurance. Classified staff was also given the 3.2 percent increase approved by the Legislature in addition to a 5-percent increase in compensation.
Salaries schedules, benefits approved
New food service contract
Three young food ambassadors approached the board with complaints about food shortages and empty stomachs.
Weston Wilbanks, Seth Lowery and Dylan Driver stood in a row in front of the board with bowed heads and little pieces of paper in their hands.
“We want more food, and we want it warm when we get it,” Wilbanks said.
Lowery appealed to the board members’ stomachs when he asked if they had ever had to eat a tostada with only beans on top because all of the other toppings were gone.
“On March 29, I ate my spaghetti in three bites,” he said, adding that what he can get at the salad bar does not fill his stomach.
Driver told the board more food would help him and his friends learn. “Right now, we have to go back to class hungry,” he said.
The district recently accepted bids for the food service management, and Roger Studley, director of support operations, said his staff and volunteers had narrowed the possibilities to Sodexho and Chartwells. Chartwells was the food company the district used for the 2006-07 school year.
Sodexho was chosen by the staff and approved by the governing board.
After affirming that Sodexho would interview Chartwells’ present employees at a job fair and supply food and services for the summer food program, food services manager John Walker said his company would do its best to earn students’ trust and confidence every day with food.
“Hopefully, we never have to face that triumvirate,” he said, laughing.
Tregaskes thanked the Chartwells Company and employees for the work they did to improve the district’s menu and diet last year. “Chartwells got us off to a nice change,” he said.
In other matters, the board:
