Community Corner

Administrators Get Raises, Teachers Get More Classes

At least three Upper Moreland School District administrators will be earning higher "merit" salaries, while nearly two dozen educators will be teaching more classes. 

The Upper Moreland School Board on Tuesday voted to approve salary increases for Superintendent Robert Milrod, Assistant Superintendent Jenny Lehman and Business Manager Michael Braun.

Both of the superintendents will receive a 1.7 percent salary boost–which board members noted is the index–while Braun will receive a 3.5 percent increase.  

For more news and updates about Upper Moreland, subscribe to our free newsletter, "like" us on Facebook, or follow us on twitter.

School board member Lisa Berlin told Patch after the meeting that the votes to raise salaries were "a matter of procedure" and are considered for action every year. 

The superintendents, for instance, are eligible to maintain the same salary, or have it raised up to the index rate, she said. Braun is eligible for an increase of up to 4 percent each year, she said. 

"In all of them it's based on merit," Milrod said. 

Milrod would receive the pay increase annually "as long as he's performing," Berlin said. 

The salary hikes were approved following Berlin's report outlining the reassignments of 21 teachers. Of those, 20 will teach additional periods in the coming school year, she said, while one is moving from a .8 position to a full-time post. 

The district has reduced its teaching staff through attrition the last several years. Upper Moreland is down about 10 teachers since the 2009-2010 school year, Milrod told Patch previously

On Tuesday night, the board also approved the termination of a facilities coordinator position "for reason of economy," Berlin said. 

Besides paying Upper Moreland administrators more money, the board also approved promoting Janet DiLiberto, the district's human resources coordinator to the position of manager of human resources. 

All of the additional salaries are included in the district's 2013-2014 $56.9 million school budget, which the board adopted Tuesday.

Do you think it's fair for administrators to get pay increases, while other district staff is being cut "for reason of economy?" Tell us in the comments.

Find out what's happening in Upper Moreland-Willow Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here