MT Holly School Bd Gives Supt Spaventa 4 Percent Salary Increase
Bill's Note: Spaventa was offered the job of Gloucester City School Superintendent on Tuesday, July 17th. Mt. Holly Board of Education president Carol Johnson said on July 18th the fact that Spaventa is a candidate for another job did not influence the board's decision. see story
By JASON HARRIS
Burlington County Times
MOUNT HOLLY — The Board of Education voted at a 
special meeting July 18th to award Superintendent Paul Spaventa a $5,000 raise.
The decision broke a long-standing tradition to delay all raises until teachers and staff agreed to a new contract, according to the union president and a former board member.
Spaventa's new salary is $128,000 a year.
Board member Samuel Reale Jr. and Vice President David Gsell abstained. Both were elected in April and said it would improper to vote on Spaventa's contract because they had not been part of the evaluation process.
President Carol Johnson and board members Mark Parker and Anthony Lotierzo voted to approve the raise.
Board solicitor Frank Cavallo said Spaventa's contract requires the board to reconsider his salary each year, but the board is not required to give him a raise.
Johnson said changes in state law mean the board can't wait until the contract with teachers and staff is settled to discuss the superintendent's salary.
Johnson added that rumors that Spaventa is a candidate for another job did not influence the board's decision.
"The board did this based on his performance," she said.
The contract with the Mount Holly Education Association expired June 30. Roy Bozarth, a 23-year school board member and immediate past president, and
association President Marilyn Melchionni both said they could not remember a time when any district employee got a raise before the union had a new contract.
"It was always felt that we couldn't negotiate in good faith when we were spending money in other areas," said Bozarth, who lost his bid for re-election this year. "Those were the days when the board respected the teachers and staff."
Melchionni said she was "extremely disappointed" with the board's decision. She added that, in years past, all raises in the district matched the increase negotiated in the union contract.
"The superintendent received a 7 percent increase last year, then a 4 percent increase this year," she said. "The teachers would love to receive that kind of increase over two years."
Correction for July 18
Burlington County Times
A story in yesterday’s edition incorrectly reported how some members of the Mount Holly School Board voted on the question of whether to give school Superintendent Paul Spaventa a $5,000 raise. David Gsell voted for the increase; Anthony Lotierzo abstained.
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