Saucon Valley board tables $20,000 stipend for assistant superintendent curriculum work after public concern
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Summary
The Saucon Valley School District board tabled a motion to pay a $20,000 curriculum stipend to the assistant superintendent after public comment and multiple board members raised concerns about redundancy, equity and a lack of committee review.
The Saucon Valley School District Board of Directors on Tuesday tabled a motion to approve a $20,000 "curriculum and induction" stipend for the assistant superintendent after public comment and several board members questioned whether the payment would duplicate existing duties.
Parent and taxpayer Jennifer Munson McCarthy urged the board to pause the stipend, saying the district had told the public the assistant superintendent position was created to oversee curriculum and asking why the district was being asked to pay extra for the same work. “If curriculum oversight is a core part of that position, then this stipend is unnecessary,” she said.
The stipend was presented as item 5 in a package of personnel actions. Board members approved the other nine personnel items by voice vote, then considered item 5 separately. Board members voiced mixed views at the business meeting: William Broom said the board must retain administrators and that compensation changes were a small portion of the district budget, while Donald Carpenter and other members argued the board needed clearer justification and committee review before approving additional pay.
District staff answered procedural questions during the discussion. When asked whether the stipend would be prorated, a district staff member said the stipend would not be prorated and would be paid across pay periods rather than in a lump sum. Board legal counsel provided guidance that the board could vote immediately on the procedural motion before taking further debate on the underlying issue.
After discussion, a board member moved to table the stipend. The board conducted a roll-call vote. Recorded votes included: Vivian Demko (yes), Dr. Laurel Erickson Parsons (yes), Tracy Magnotta (no), Jay Santos (yes), William Broom (yes), Donald Carpenter (no), Dr. Simeon Paksad (no) and Board President Cedric Detmar (no). The board announced the final tally as five yes and four no; the motion to table passed.
The meeting record shows the stipend amount discussed was $20,000. Public comment also noted that a $20,000 payment was made last year to a different administrator (referred to in remarks as Dr. Nickloff) to oversee K–12 curriculum. Board members repeatedly requested clearer documentation about the scope of work the stipend would fund and said the academic and personnel committee had not reviewed the proposal.
No final decision was made on the underlying stipend; tabling halts further action until the board places the item on a future agenda. The superintendent, who placed the stipend request on the agenda, was not present at the meeting and did not present the item in person.
The board will return to the item at a later meeting if it places the stipend on a future agenda or after committee review, according to the board’s announcement at the close of the vote.
