The annual contract for Roselle Park School District (RPSD) Business Administrator Sue Guercio was renewed at the Board Of Education (BOE) meeting on June 28th.
Mrs. Guercio’s base salary of $154,976 is just $2,524 (1.6%) less than the School Superintendent’s salary of $157,500.
The major difference between both contracts is that while school superintendents have a legal salary cap based on student population, no such limitations are placed on the salary of a school district business administrator.
If Mrs. Guercio had received her 2% salary increase, her salary would have been more than the School Superintendent’s.
This leads to another significant distinction in this year’s Business Administrator’s contract. Mrs. Guercio did not receive a 2% salary increase as has been the standard for her contracts for almost every year since 2011.
This appears to be a form of disciplinary action against Mrs. Guercio as a result of the Robert Gordon tuition scandal where the relative of the school principal who lived out-of-district went to Robert Gordon without paying tuition, as agreed to in a contract, until an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request discovered that no payments had been made (link). The contract between the student’s family and the school district was signed, along with BOE President Christopher Miller, by Mrs. Guercio. Additionally, an e-mail between the Business Administrator and the Robert Gordon School principal revealed that the student was to be classified as ‘tuition-free’ in the district computer system.
The only other time that the salary increase was less than 2% was last school year when the increase was 1.8%.
Once, in 2012, she and the School Superintendent at the time, Patrick Spagnoletti, received a zero percent salary increase but a later contract at the end of the school year retroactively applied the 2% increase. This temporary freeze was a gesture by both administrators to forgo any increases until a teacher’s union contract was approved.
| School Year | Salary | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-2012 | $143,525.00 | ||
| 2012-2013 | $146,395.72 | ||
| 2013-2014 | $149,323.23 | ||
| 2014-2015 | $152,310.11 | ||
| 2015-2016 | $154,976.00 | ||
| 2016-2017 | $154,976.00 |
The total cost for the Business Administrator’s annual contract of $212,656 includes:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| Salary | $154,976 |
| Maximum Paid For Unused Sick Days | $25,000 |
| Separation Pay / Vacation / Other | $14,902 |
| Health & Dental Insurance (removing the amount of employee contribution) | $15,458 |
| Dues Reimbursement | $1,165 |
| Computer (for home use) | $600 |
| Professional Development | $350 |
| Travel & Expense Reimbursement | $225 |
Total Contract Cost | $212,656 |
Including all the additional compensation and benefits, Mrs. Guercio’s contract is 2.4% less than Mr. Garrido’s for the 2016-17 school year. The Business Administrator’s contract has never provided – in recent year – any merits goals nor associated merit pay.
The Business Administrator’s contract is renewed on an annual basis and runs from July to June.
Copies of the Business Administrator’s contracts from 2011-12 to 2016-17 are included below for review or download:
2016-17 RPSD Business Administrator’s Contract
2015-16 RPSD Business Administrator’s Contract
2014-15 RPSD Business Administrator’s Contract
2013-14 RPSD Business Administrator’s Contract
2012-13 RPSD Business Administrator’s Contract
2012-13 RPSD Business Administrator’s Contract
2011-12 RPSD Business Administrator’s Contract