Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee approves 3.5% raise for superintendent after evaluation

The Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee voted unanimously on Dec. 9 to grant Superintendent Aaron Dean a 3.5% salary increase for FY25, retroactive to July 1, 2024.

The vote followed a presentation of Deans annual evaluation by committee member Mike Henault. Henault summarized the rubric ratings: Standard 1, Instructional Leadership, was marked Proficient with the Student Learning indicator noted as "Needs Improvement;" Standard 2, Management and Operations, was Proficient with an Exemplary mark in fiscal systems and HR management listed as an area for growth; Standard 3, Family and Community Engagement, was Proficient; and Standard 4, Professional Culture, was Proficient with cultural proficiency noted as a growth area. Henault said the overall rating was "Proficient." Superintendent Aaron Dean acknowledged the identified areas for improvement and asked for feedback on how to address them.

The motion to set the superintendents increase at 3.5% was made by committee member Mike Henault and seconded by John Duval; the committee approved the motion by unanimous vote. The committee also discussed aligning future superintendent increases with teacher unit increases.

The approval followed earlier committee discussion of evaluation metrics and performance benchmarks. The superintendent and committee members agreed to review performance points and benchmarks in January to measure progress. The raise will be reflected retroactively to July 1, 2024.

Next steps: the committee recorded the vote and will incorporate the pay adjustment in district payroll records.