GUILDERLAND — The school district’s three assistant superintendents will average 2.5 percent in salary increases over three years, according to Superintendent Marie Wiles.
The school board last Tuesday unanimously approved the three-year contract without any comment.

The three had voluntarily agreed to a wage freeze in 2011 and again in 2012. In the midst of a budget crisis in 2011, then-superintendent John McGuire had asked each of the district’s 12 bargaining units to consider wage freezes. Only the three-member unit of assistant superintendents, and their six-member district-office staff did so.

“We want the children in our district to have the best opportunities possible and we want to save as many programs as we can,” said Assistant Superintendent for Business Neil Sanders in 2011, explaining why his unit stuck with the freeze.

“We ended up with two big topics,” Wiles told The Enterprise of this year’s negotiations. She and board President Allan Simpson negotiated for the district.

Those topics were salaries and health insurance.

The contract runs from July 1, 2015 to Jan. 30, 2018.

Sanders, who has held his post for 13 years starts the contract with an annual salary of $144,766 and ends the contract with a salary of $155,020.

Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Demian Singleton and Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Lin Severance have each had their jobs for seven years. Singleton starts the contract at $133,265 and ends at $145,860. Severance starts at $136,015 and ends at $145,860.

Most Guilderland employees pay for 20 percent of their health insurance while the district pays for 80 percent.

“Our administrative staff are all inching up,” said Wiles of their contributions to health insurance.

“I’m at 25,” said Wiles, naming the percentage she pays. “This group has been the leader in inching up. They’ll be the highest in their contributions.”

For the first year of the contract, each assistant superintendent will pay 22 percent, which will increase to 23 percent in the second year, and to 24 percent in the third year.

“We came to an agreement in three meetings,” said Wiles, noting the negotiations were amiable.

“This group more than any other group totally understands the challenges the district is facing,” said Wiles.  “Conversely, the school board recognizes these are three very talented individuals who do amazing work for Guilderland, recognized around the area and across the state…We are fortunate to have them.”