The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Board of Ed finalizes reorganization
$441,356 in central office savings sought in $1 million cutting plan
By Dan DuChene, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: September 27, 2007
The Willow Run Board of Education finalized changes in the district's administration last Thursday, as part of its cost-cutting reorganization.
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The pay increases and staff appointments in the district's central office come with $1 million in savings for the district. Of the total, $441,356 in savings were finalized by decisions made at Thursday's meeting.
All approved unanimously, six staff appointments, two title changes and two salary adjustments were made. In addition, five employees were re-called after being laid off earlier.
Sharon Borton, the district's facilitator of technology and community services, had her salary increased by the board, and now makes $53,000. The move was justified to the new responsibilities she took on in the absence of a director.
Harold Wimberly, a Board trustee, and Sheri Washington, the Board's vice president, questioned Barton's pay increase due to a lack of certification in the rÈsumÈ submitted to the board.
"I would like clarification on that before I vote that increase," Washington said.
Clifford Smith, a board trustee, said, "She's already on our staff."
Borton has been employed at Willow Run since 1992, and has been working in her department since 1999.
"We might as well let (Superintendent Doris Hope-Jackson) do her job and hire the person she wants to hire," said Brenda Clay, the board's secretary.
Borton graduated high school in 1989, graduated from Jackson Business School in 1991 and has taken classes toward a bachelor's degree at Washtenaw Community College.
Wimberly said he would like to hire somebody with more education.
"I don't know if I can say it's solely on Dr. Jackson," he said. "It's on me. It's on everyone at this table."
One of the six new appointments, Faith Ivey will be the district's new attendance and truancy officer. She will make $65,694 a year and function as the administrator in charge of tracking and increasing district enrollment through marketing and data collection.
A certified teacher through EMU, Ivey earned her master's degree in social work at EMU last year.
"I look forward to working with this district," Ivey said after the board's approval. "I'm a hard worker, I'm a good listener and I believe in positive solutions."
Aside from four lunchroom supervisors and a bus driver, the other staff appointment made was the district Title I coordinator. Melissa Hunt-Loy, who had been working with the district in the area, was hired at $65,694 a year, with an $11,000 rider.
Two administrative assistants were hired at $38,000 each, with Rachel Plumley as the assistant to technology and community services and Debbie Hill as the assistant to student services. Both assistants had been previous Willow Run employees filling similar roles.
Six formerly laid off para-educators were recalled, with three in the high school, one in Holmes Elementary and one in Kaiser. The recall came after the district reviewed its para-educator layoffs and compared the findings with its needs.
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