KINGWOOD — The Preston County Board of Education voted Monday to renew Superintendent Steve Wotring’s contract for another four years.
The new contract will run through June 30, 2024, and includes a 2.5% annual cost of living increase.
Wotring has not received an increase over the course of his current four-year contract. He has been paid $126,000 per year.
Board President Jack Keim noted that’s the minimum salary the state set for a superintendent during its takeover of Preston County Schools.
“He never asked for an increase,” during the four years, Keim said. And other counties pay more, Keim added.
According to the West Virginia Department of Education’s website, Monongalia County’s superintendent made $150,000 in 2018-19; Marion, $148,364; Taylor, $102,000; and Harrison, $171,000.
The highest superintendent salary for 2018-19, according to the website, was Berkeley County, at $192,270. The lowest was Roane, at $85,000. The average county superintendent’s salary for that year was $122,313, according to the website.
The board voted unanimously 5-0 after a 53-minute evaluation in executive session. Keim said the evaluation was positive.
Board staff will be working on personnel assignments for the 2020-21 school year soon. Among the recommendations made Monday by Wotring is to place Rowlesburg School and Fellowsville Elementary under a single principal.
“The schools together are about 150 students,” so one person could handle the job, he said.
At South Preston, the federal grant that paid an assistant principal’s salary has ended, so Wotring recommended replacing that position with a dean of students position. Other middle schools in the county have the dean position.
The dean of students must hold a classroom teaching license and a master’s degree. Administrative experience or training is preferred.
Ten teaching positions are funded by the county school levy. Those are to be placed where they are needed in order to lower class sizes.
Already it’s obvious a pre-k teacher will be needed at Terra Alta/East Preston, and middle school foreign language teachers will be retained, the superintendent said.
Administrators are evaluating other class sizes before making a recommendation on where to put the levy-funded positions.
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