Gainesville Sun - October 14, 2001

By CATHI CARR
Sun staff writer

Pay for teachers in Alachua County ranks in the bottom third in the state, while administrators' pay in some departments ranks in the top 10.

According to records from the Department of Education for 2000-01, the average salary for teachers in Alachua County was $34,216. The state average was $38,223.

That puts the county at 46th out of 67 counties in pay. And for teachers with certain degrees, the rank is even lower.

Teachers with bachelor's degrees, for instance, are ranked 53rd in the state, while those with master's degrees are ranked 62nd.

Alachua County school administrators in four areas ranked in the top 10 in pay in the state last year. Figures for this year were not available.

Administrators in the areas of student services and transportation each ranked seventh, in facilities they were ranked 10th, and in food service they were ranked second.

In other areas, such as finance, vocational education, management information services and exceptional education, the district ranked in the bottom third of districts that reported having administrators in such departments. Alachua County Education Association President Gunnar Paulson takes issue with the discrepancy.

"Why should our administrators be ranked (so high), when our teachers are in the bottom?" Paulson said. "Why do we have to have the top-ranked administrators at the expense of our employees?"

Alachua County Schools Superintendent Mary Chambers said the School Board has made teacher raises a priority for the past two years, which has added to the financial strain the district is suffering this year. District officials have said they will have to trim $3 million from the budget this year to make it balance.

"We've given higher raises than we could really afford," Chambers said. "Almost $7 million went to salaries in addition to the increases in costs for health insurance last year. Who would know the Legislature would change their operational style this year in restricting dollars again and give bonuses like they did?"

This year, the Legislature delegated money for each teacher in the state to receive an $850 bonus -- a move that restricted the salaries that could be bargained for between school districts and employees' unions -- and did not increase teachers' base salary. Chambers added that other bonus money that went to teachers last year, such as School Recognition funds, were not calculated in the averages.

Despite that, several administrators received promotions or new job titles and raises this year in the district, while other administrative positions were cut. Chambers, who makes $119,500 and ranks 15th in the state in superintendent pay, took the job last October, after former Superintendent Lawrence Marazza resigned.

A total of 13 administrators at the district headquarters received raises totaling $45,563 this year, while seven positions there were eliminated.

"Granted, some folks may be making more this year, but we improved efficiency," Chambers said. "There are fewer people providing the same or better functions for half a million dollars less."

Chambers also said another discrepancy arises from levels of experience and ages of administrators, many of whom are senior in Alachua County, and from the high number of teachers in the district who hold advanced degrees.

Alachua County is ranked second in the state in the percentage of teachers with master's degrees, first in the state in the percentage of teachers with doctorates and second in the state in the percentage of teachers with specialist degrees. The county ranks last in the state for the percentage of teachers holding just bachelor's degrees.

"More of our teachers have doctorate and higher-level degrees than a lot of other districts, so what may be the midpoint on the salary schedule is not indicative of what the schedule actually costs," Chambers said. "We have a lot of senior-level teachers with higher-level degrees, and that combination costs more."

Paulson said factoring in the number of advanced-degree teachers should raise Alachua County's average teacher pay rather than lower it.

"The only reason we're within shouting distance of the state average is because we've got such a qualified work force," Paulson said. "You're getting a tremendously highly trained work force. Where would we be if we had the same amount of bachelor's degrees as other people? If the state average of teachers with advanced degrees was 61 percent, the state average salary would be higher."

Cathi Carr can be reached at 374-5086 or cathi.carr@gainesvillesun.com.

See October 14, 2001 issue of Gainesville Sun for original article.