After calling for a change of leadership at Ashville High School, the Coalition for School Improvement voiced further concerns about how the St. Clair County Board of Education handles business.

Clay Kato of Ashville addressed the board during their regular meeting Monday, searching for answers regarding salary schedules posted online. In addition to a $21,264 starting salary jump for the child nutrition director and the community education director, he expressed concerns about how the Chief School Financial Officer salary schedule was posted.

“On the June 20 board meeting, I printed the CSFO salary schedule from 2010-11 schedule, which was posted on your website. According to the schedule after 5 years of service, Mrs. Nance should be making $49,574. I’m thinking that’s about how long she’s been there. During the June 20 board meeting, there was discussion to increase the CSFO salary schedule to $95,230. And that motion passed,” Kato said. “A few days ago I printed the new 2011-12 CSFO salary schedule and it says the same thing as the 2009-10 salary schedule. There was also no mention in the minutes of increasing Mrs. Nance’s salary schedule, however, there was quite a bit of conversation about that topic. My question is, why was it omitted from the minutes and why are you deceiving the public? Why are you hiding Mrs. Nance’s salary? Why did you repost the old salary schedule for the CSFO as the new schedule?”

Seales replied that Nance has always made $95,000 per year, which was discussed when she accepted the job. The posted salary schedule, however, Seales said, was for the former CSFO, Sandra Touart, who Seales said currently serves as a secretary.

When asked why Nance’s schedule wasn’t listed as the CSFO, Seales responded that Nance’s salary schedule was listed under Touart’s salary schedule.

“We believe you’re deceiving the public because someone made an effort to change the 2010-11 salary schedule, which wouldn’t have made sense to change it if it was just Mrs. Touart’s, by removing the 2010-11 schedule it’s deceiving the public because it lets them think it’s the CSFO salary schedule in the 2010-11 year. The new one 2011-12 that you reposted has that removed, so someone took the time to repost that.”

They also questioned how many of the 45 to 50 employees expected to be lost this school year were cut from the central office. When Seales responded that four employees were cut, Kato criticized the lack of administration cuts.

“It seems to us that you’re forgetting the St. Clair County Board of Education is not a private corporation, it is a publically funded school system by the taxpayers and the state of Alabama, and we demand that you start putting teachers first,” he said.

They also took notice of teachers being asked to spend $50 out-of-pocket on individual classroom refrigerators, and being asked to turn their classroom thermostats up in the summer and down in the winter.

“If we watch pennies, the dollars may take care of themselves,” Board Member John DeGaris countered.

In tough economic times, Kato said dollars should be spent in the classrooms.

“We should be working to save good teachers, keep the classrooms comfortable and promote a good learning environment for students,” Kato said.

The Board policy dictates that they traditionally do not respond to public comment during meetings, but assured Kato that his concerns would be addressed.