MARIETTA - The Washington County Joint Vocational Board of Education unanimously approved 2 percent pay increases for administrators and classified staff Thursday, matching a raise granted to teachers last month.
Teacher unions in several local districts have agreed to pay freezes on their most recent contracts. Superintendent Roger Bartunek, whose annual salary was increased from $99,431 a year to $101,420, said the career center raises were made possible through careful planning and fiscal responsibility.
"We've just been very frugal and careful over the years," he said.
The 2 percent figure is "a little bit deceiving because we also made insurance changes," Bartunek said. "The teachers did make concessions on the insurance, and all the rest of us have to go along with that."
The teachers are the only group of career center employees represented by a union.
The raises were approved during Thursday's regular board meeting with no objections. Votes on classified staff and treasurer raises were 6-0, with board member Debbie West absent. Member Neil Huck abstained from votes on the administrative personnel and superintendent salaries, so those votes were 5-0.
After the meeting, Huck said he abstained because he thinks the raises should be a set amount, not a percentage, which results in administrators getting a larger lump sum increase.
"It aggravates me," he said. "It isn't I don't think (they) need a raise. I just think everyone should get an equal share."
Treasurer Joe Crone's annual salary will increase from $62,985 to $64,425.
In other business, administrators told board members the career center is growing in terms of enrollment and course offerings.
The senior class of 2012 is expected to be the largest in the school's history, with more than 250 members. There are more than 300 full-time adult technical training students enrolled, with about 600 part-timers.
Mike Elliott, assistant director for the high school, said as enrollment grows new courses are being considered. English instructor Sherm Koons is working on establishing the center's first advanced placement course.
Career supervisor Rhonda Knoch told board members the career center met state requirements of 87 percent positive placement of 2010 graduates. That means 87 percent of the 220 members of that class are employed, enrolled in a post-secondary institution or other form of continuing education or in the military.
In addition, 70 percent of the 156 respondents to the center's annual exit survey rated their experience at the school as excellent, with 27 percent rating it good.
