Millbrae School District pauses extra pay for administrators

On Tuesday, the Millbrae School District Board of Trustees postponed a decision on whether to provide stipends to Superintendent Debra French, Supervisor of Business Services Denice LaCroix and Director of Student Services Tara Keith. 

Due to a hiring shortage being felt locally and across the state in all levels of district employment, the district has been unable to fill multiple positions including a director of Human Resources, chief business official, director of Child Nutrition Services, director of Education and director of Information Technology. 

In addition to their regular duties, French has been filling in as directors of Human Resources and Education Services, LaCroix has been covering the chief business official and director of Child Nutrition Services vacancies and Keith has been overseeing duties of the Information Technology director. 

As proposed, each administrator would receive an additional up to 12 hours of pay after their regular work week, set at their current rate, a week until the positions they’ve been covering have been filled. 

But Barbaro called for the stipends to be pulled from the consent calendar, which is typically made up of routine items, to allow for further discussion. His decision was driven by his own concerns after reading about the agenda, published on Friday, Oct. 15, and after receiving numerous text messages and emails from other concerned staff members and parents. 

Matt Garrett, a teacher of 20 years in the district, told trustees that he and other employees were alarmed to learn of the stipends after staff was told that the budget was too thin to offer greater salary increases. After detailing a district “exodus” of teachers and faculty and recounting the hardships employees faced during the pandemic, he noted teachers across the district have also routinely worked beyond the duties outlined in their contracts. 

“To accept these temporary stipend agreements would send the wrong message,” Garrett said. “To say some people are working more than others is tone-deaf.” 

Responding to the public concerns, Trustee Lynne Ferrario shared appreciation for teachers who she said have had to pivot through the past year and a half to address issues including technical problems prevalent since the start of the new school year. 

Similarly, Trustee Maggie Musa said she recognizes the strain teachers have been under after being a parent and trustee in the district.

“I can appreciate everything you do and I know every one of you is multitasking,” Musa said. 

She also called for officials to hold a fuller discussion on how they intend on spending a $400,000 grant from the Millbrae Education Foundation.  

Board President Don Revelo said he intends to schedule a budget study session to get further details on the district’s financial standing and to allow the budget committee to present on a future parcel tax ballot measure. 

Echoing the other trustees during Thursday’s phone interview, Barbaro applauded the hard work district employees have contributed during the pandemic, especially given severe staffing shortages and budget constraints. Standing by his decision to pull the items, he shared hopes the board could also consider alternative solutions to the stipend issue during the future study session.

“I feel I did the right thing,” Barbaro said. “It’s a matter of more information, more discussion and more collaboration.” 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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