Divided Groveport school board approves second superintendent salary increase this year
For the second time in five months, a slim majority of the Groveport Madison school board has voted to give its superintendent a pay raise, giving the head educator a nearly 23% pay bump since the start of the year.
In a special meeting on June 5, the board voted to increase Superintendent Jamie Grube’s base salary from $190,000 to $215,000 and upgraded his benefits. Five months prior at its regular Feb. 16 meeting, it approved an increase in Grube’s base salary from $175,000 to $190,000 in a split decision.
The pay package also highlighted a divide on the board, with the two members who opposed the February pay package not even attending the June meeting where the second raise was given. One of those two called the second raise "fiscally irresponsible."
School Board President LaToya Dowdell-Burger said increasing Grube's contract was an effort to stay competitive with other area superintendent contracts. At the start of 2024, his contract was set to expire in July 2025, but the February raise extended Grube's employment to 2030.
The June resolution did not further extend his employment.
Dowdell-Burger said the board reentered negotiations so soon after February to ensure the district retained its senior leadership as other superintendent positions opened in the area. Recently, South-Western City Schools, Ohio’s fifth largest school district, selected a new superintendent. Westerville City Schools Superintendent Joe Clark resigned less than five months into his tenure at the district amid a disciplinary investigation, leading that school board to appoint Angie Hamberg as interim superintendent in March, though it now appears that appointment could be made permanent at the board's July 8 meeting.
Dowdell-Burger also said there is a high turnover rate in education, especially with school administrators.
“We just want to ensure that we remain competitive and that we’re here to do the work for students and families . . . We’ve got the right team members in place to progress our school district where it needs to go,” Dowdell-Burger said.
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Grube did not respond to requests for comment. He served as the district's deputy superintendent from 2018-2022. In 2022 he served as interim superintendent for a short stint before being selected as superintendent by the board.
Board member: Second raise was 'fiscally irresponsible'
Board members Kathleen Walsh and John Kershner were not present at the June 5 special meeting. Walsh said she is confused why the board decided to increase the superintendent's contract for the second time this year.
“So we, [after the February resolution], had a very generous contract,” Walsh said. “What happened on June 5 was fiscally irresponsible in my opinion.”
She said she wanted to wait longer to get feedback from a staff poll about Grube’s performance before committing to him.
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Walsh and Kershner both voted against the resolutions in February. Walsh made eight motions, all seconded by Kershner, to adjust the contract, including extending Grube’s contract for two years instead of five, according to board meeting records.
The three other board members voted against all eight motions.
What is in Jamie Grube's new contract
Here are the changes to Grube's contract in the June 5 resolution:
Base salary increase to $215,000, up from $190,000
Doubled car allowance to $7,200 yearly or $600 monthly, up from $300 monthly
A 20% annuity available to Grube at retirement, up from 13.5%
35 vacation days yearly, up from 30
Grube has the option to carry over unused vacation days up to 75% per year or convert the days into additional salary or retirements savings. It is based on all of his yearly earnings divided by 215 days.
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How does Groveport Madison superintendent's contract compare?
Groveport Madison had an enrollment of 6,197 in the 2022-2023 school year, according to its Ohio Department of Education and Workforce report card.
In comparison, Reynoldsburg Schools Superintendent Tracy Reed received a base salary of $167,000 when she began her job in February 2023. Reynoldsburg has an enrollment of 7,147.
Upper Arlington Schools Superintendent Robert Hunt was hired on a base salary of $230,000 last year. Upper Arlington Schools had an enrollment of 6,392 in 2022-2023.
Columbus City Schools, Ohio’s largest school district, pays Superintendent Angela Champman a base salary of $265,000, which is the same as recently appointed South-Western City Schools Superintendent Randy Banks. South-Western is the state's fifth-largest district.
@donovanhunt9
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Groveport superintendent Grube gets second salary increase this year
