Jamestown board approves business manager pay raise after extended debate

The Jamestown Public School Board approved a proposal on June 15 to raise the district business manager's salary to $140,000, a decision that split the board 5-3 after lengthy debate about compensation, duties and district priorities.

Board member Dan Tweeton, presenting the finance committee's recommendation, said the change is intended to realign pay to market levels and to reflect added leadership and finance responsibilities after a central-office restructuring. "This realigns us and it does it in one shot so we don't have to go back and revalidate it," Tweeton said during the discussion.

Opponents voiced concerns about the size and timing of a one-time increase for a single position. Board member Melissa Gleason said she could not "justify such large increments at once for one specific position," noting the incumbent's recent pay changes and the district's ongoing efforts to raise support-staff and teacher wages. "This is a huge jump," Gleason said.

Board member Jason Rohr said he agreed that the business-manager role has grown, but added he struggled to justify the full increase in a single year. Supporters pointed to a comparative analysis of peer districts and to the district's shifting central-office responsibilities, arguing the salary places the position at a mid-range market level and reduces the risk of being unable to recruit a qualified replacement.

Before the vote the board had already approved two related finance staffing decisions: a human-resource generalist at $62,000 and a payroll and accounting supervisor at $60,000; both measures passed unanimously earlier in the meeting. Christie (district finance lead) described the payroll-and-accounting role as taking on accounts payable/receivable, payroll, quarterly reporting and the bulk of audit preparation.

After public discussion the board conducted a roll-call vote: Dan Tweeton, Aaron Roberts, Steve Belkamp, Heidi Larson and Jacob Meyer voted in favor; Melissa Gleason, Jamie Bear and Jason Rohr voted against. The motion carried 5-3.

The board and administration said the change is part of a broader central-office restructuring that also converts an assistant business manager role into a lower-cost data-entry position the district believes it can fill. Proponents said the net district cost was projected to be modest once all reassignments were accounted for; opponents asked for clearer job descriptions and a phased approach in future adjustments.

The board did not rescind other personnel actions approved at the meeting, and members who opposed the raise said they would continue to press for greater clarity about duties, comparisons and the net budget impact. The board plans additional review and monitoring as the district implements the realignment.