Trustees extend Bauman's contract
COEUR d'ALENE - School trustees in Coeur d'Alene gave Superintendent Hazel Bauman high marks Monday before voting unanimously to add another year to the district's top administrator's contract.
The extension will keep Bauman in her position through June 30, 2016.
"I would like to publicly say that one of the best things about this job has been working with you. I have enjoyed that and I look forward to continuing that relationship quite a bit," said board chair Tom Hamilton.
Trustee Ann Seddon thanked Bauman for being accessible to board members and for sharing her insight with them.
Bauman thanked the board for their support and gave credit to the school district employees.
"We aren't perfect, as you heard tonight, we've got lots of challenges, but we are dedicated and work hard to try and do the very best we can for children," Bauman said.
Bauman's annual pay remains $123,971, the same amount she has been receiving since 2009-10, when Bauman took a voluntary 5 percent pay cut decreasing her then $130,496 annual salary by $6,525.
In addition to her annual salary, Bauman contractually receives through district payroll, and pays taxes on, an additional $1,000 per month for expenses.
The superintendent's contract requires the board to evaluate Bauman's performance on an annual basis.
This year's evaluation was completed in January and compiled with input from all board members, said Hamilton, before reading the evaluation memo aloud.
Bauman was commended by the board for her ability to communicate the district's message to various constituency groups, and to respond to issues as they arise.
The board noted that Bauman took the initiative to move forward quickly with developing school safety and security measures following the Sandy Hook school shooting that took place in Connecticut in December.
The board also noted Bauman's focus on using data to improve student achievement, her work to pass a $32.7 million school construction bond last summer and her hiring of Wendell Wardell, the district's chief operations officer, described by the board as "a sound leader" in the district's finance department.
"Our district has the well-deserved reputation of being one of the best-led districts in the state and this is due in no small part to Hazel's willingness to not simply look for easy solutions, but to look for solutions that continue to challenge students and staff to improve. She has met a challenging year with dignity and courage," said Hamilton, reading from the memo.