Cost of school superintendent search closes in on $90,000

Terry Webster

Tuesday, Dec. 14, 1999 | 11:35 a.m.

Costs for the new superintendent search are pushing $90,000, the Clark County School District's lead financial officer said Monday.

Last year the district estimated the cost for a superintendent search would range between $75,000 and $100,000, said Walt Rulffes, chief financial officer.

Rulffes said the district has paid $56,026 and owes another $32,000 relating to the search, for a total of $88,026. The total includes $40,000 for the search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, along with supplies, materials and other costs, financial analyst Teri Jones said.

Another expense approved by the district involves spending up to $6,000 for School Board members' travel. The actual amount is not known because all travel expense reports have not been filed.

Additionally, the district is paying former school district official Kathy Harney, superindentent search liaison, up to $7,920 as an out-of-district consultant.

Rulffes is more concerned about the proposed compensation packages for a new superintendent.

"I don't think it's any secret the general fund is very tight," he said. "We're concerned about next year because it looks like we're going to have to tighten our belts even further."

One of the two finalists, Joseph Redden, a retired U.S. Air Force general, is seeking a salary of $200,000 plus benefits of about $30,000, according to figures presented at a recent board meeting.

Henry Marockie, state superintendent of West Virginia schools, wants a $250,000 base salary plus benefits that would make his entire package worth $277,000.

Added to both packages are another 22 percent in mandatory benefits and one-time moving costs of $20,000 or more.

Although Redden's request is lower than Marockie's, state law requires that an unlicensed administrator have an assistant. The school district has not produced estimates for how much more that might cost.

An actual job offer still has to be determined by negotiations, which are being led by the school district's attorneys.

"If were looking at more than what we're paying now, it's going to come at the expense of something else," Rulffes said. "I can't speak for the board, but I can't imagine they would do that. They (the board) are aware of the tight budget."

Clark County School District Superintendent Brian Cram, who retires in July 2000, is earning a base salary of $158,000 plus benefits that make his entire compensation package worth $241,029.

The district maintains a contingency fund of about $2.5 million, but most of that money is being used to pay for utilities, Rulffes said.

Search firm consultant William Attea has said Cram's compensation is low compared with national rates for large urban school districts.