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Schools chief thins administrator ranks
By MELANIE AVE, Times Staff Writer
TAMPA -- Hillsborough superintendent Earl Lennard announced a plan Monday to reorganize his top staff, reducing the number of administrator positions by six and significantly boosting the salaries of several others. The plan, approved by the School Board, will save the district about $560,368 annually. Most of the eliminated positions come from retirements, vacancies and job transfers. "I'm always looking at ways to improve management," Lennard said. "This makes for a flatter organization." The changes will be phased in through July. Lennard said he made some of the changes because a state audit released in July recommended a more streamlined administrative operation and because he needed to assign someone to spearhead the "controlled choice" student assignment plan, which replaces busing in 2004. One newly created position, the chief district academic officer, will be assumed by assistant superintendent for instruction Donnie Evans. Evans will oversee the choice plan, which until now has been handled by several people. At the top of the organization, Lennard eliminated one of two deputy superintendent positions because one deputy, Beth Shields, is retiring. The other deputy, Jim Hamilton, will become chief of staff. Assistant superintendent for administration Randy Poindexter will be promoted to deputy superintendent and second-in-command. In some respects the reorganization is a shell game of merged duties and title changes. For example, assistant superintendents Jack Davis and Mike Bookman will now become chief facilities officer and chief business officer, respectively, as Lennard strives to make his administration look more like a corporation. Some changes were made to improve accountability, such as making the auditing officer report directly to Lennard instead of another administrator. School Board members approved the reorganization and praised the new arrangement. But one critic, Hillsborough School Employees Federation executive director Bob Scott, objected to director of student nutrition services Mary Kate Harrison receiving a $8,822 raise on top of her $80,975 salary, an 11 percent increase. He questioned the fairness of the increase because cafeteria workers received 2 percent raises this year, but saw their insurance costs rise 6.5 percent. Scott said it is not a "prudent use of our money when employees are falling so far behind." Lennard said he recommended salary boosts -- ranging from $1,000 to $12,000 -- to employees receiving additional duties. Others receiving increases are Evans, whose salary will increase 1 percent to $110,955; Hamilton, up 4 percent to $120,105; Poindexter, up 5 percent to $110,956; general director of exceptional student education Ed McDowell, up 4 percent to $89,281; manager of employee benefits Deborah Henry, up 19 percent to $77,882; safety manager Glen Lathers, up 24 percent to $60,052; logistics and inventory manager Jerry Dittell, up 20 percent to $55,478; manager of purchasing Willie Campbell, up 10 percent to $77,468; minority business manager Henry Ballard, up 5 percent to $56,692. The seven general directors also will each receive an average salary increase of $4,730. In addition to the reorganization, the board approved negotiated contracts with the teachers union, which gives teachers an average 3 percent increase -- an average of $1,000 each. Raises were approved for bus drivers, cafeteria workers and administrators, who will receive 2 percent increases. The board also increased the rate for lawyer fees from $90 to $100 an hour. Lennard stands to receive a 3 percent raise on top of his $178,482 salary, the same as teachers. -- Melanie Ave can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or melanie@sptimes.com .
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