No raises for Newton school administrators this year

Among the many adjustments the Newton Community School District is making as its embarks on a series of major facilities changes will be salaries.

Even though annual budgeting and union negotiations are not fully underway, superintendent Bob Callaghan has made an announcement that should give the district more flexibility in several ways.

“Based upon the (state legislature) funding formula that has been identified in the legislature, I have communicated to the administrative team that I would not be recommending a salary increase,” Callaghan said. “The administrative team would include principals, assistant principals and central office directors.”

State legislators have made it clear getting Fiscal Year 2017 and 2018 education K-12 budgets onto the governor’s desk quickly is a priority.

Though Democrats are starting with a 4 percent increase and Republicans want 2 percent. Gov. Terry Branstad has indicated 2.45 percent would be acceptable.

“I make recommendations to the board and the board makes the budgetary decisions,” Callaghan said.

A few 2015-16 principals will continue to be at their same elementary schools, even as they transition to being grades K-4. Todd Schuster will continue at Woodrow Wilson, Jim Gilbert will stay at Aurora Heights and Tom Bartello will still be at Thomas Jefferson.

Jolene Comer, who was the principal at Emerson Hough when it closed in 2010, returns to lead the school’s staff in 2016-17. She’ll leave her position at what is now the K-3 elementary side of the Berg Complex, which will be house all of the district’s fifth- and sixth-graders next fall.

The seventh and eighth grades will be unchanged at Berg Middle School. However, Lisa Sharp will go from being middle school principal to overseeing the entire Berg Complex as a “site administrator.” Stephanie Langstraat will move up from vice principal to principal of the middle-school side, and the district is advertising an opening for the assistant principal of the grades 5-6 “Berg Intermediate School.”

The positions held this year by Basics & Beyond and Disciplinary Action Program Principal Laura Selover and Newton High School Principal Bill Peters are unaffected by reconfiguration. However, Selover has agreed to relinquish her Basics & Beyond and DAP principal positions effective Monday — to be replaced by Berg Elementary administrator Mike Moran — and continue to be the district’s human resources director.

Gilbert agreed to return to being a full-time, everyday principal for 2015-16 by adding Aurora Heights principal to his already full plate of duties as director of K-8 Curriculum and Instruction. As long as Gilbert is willing to fulfill both roles, the district would save the equivalent of one administrator’s annual salary.

“I have had a discussion with Mr. Gilbert and his plan is to remain as principal of Aurora Heights and serve as the Director of K-8 Curriculum and Instruction,” Callaghan said.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com