It's getting more expensive for staff in School District 43, with more spent on salaries and expenses last year — including larger a slice of the pie going to employees at the top of the list.
The figures are included in the latest statement of financial information (SOFI), which publishes the names and salaries of those who make more than $75,000.
By the end of June, 2016, the report showed SD43 had paid out $203.1 million in wages — that's up from $192.8 million reported in the 2014/’15 SOFI — including a total of $104.2 million paid out to employees earning more than $75,000 annually.
(The previous year, according to the 2014/15 SOFI, $77 million was spent on employees earning more than $75,000 a year while staff who are paid less than that amount represent a declining share of salaries at $98.9 million in 2015/’16 compared to $115.8 million reported in the 2014/’15 SOFI.)
Comparing expenses in the two SOFIs shows that expenses more than doubled to $625,837 for the 2015/’16 year but the difference is explained by the international education department, which spent $377,252 on travel and marketing to foreign students.
For example, expenses for Robert Lajoie, marketing manager for international education, totalled $112,615 while Patricia Gartland, who headed up the department before becoming superintendent, spent $43,182 on expenses to do her job.
In a statement, SD43 community relations manager Peter Chevrier noted that the program's expenses are paid for out of fees foreign students pay — not provincial taxpayer funds — and were used to help to generate increased revenue for SD43.
Superintendent Patricia Gartland said the money is well spent because revenue from international education "provides increased resources for our schools and classrooms to enrich our students' academic learning and their social and cultural experiences."
Trustees' visit to China at the behest of the Chinese government is also recorded in the latest SOFI report. Four trustees went on the trip, which cost $32,064 but was paid for by HanBan, the Chinese cultural institute.
In all, it cost $363,626 to pay for trustees' indemnities, down slightly from the year previous, when SOFI reported $368,552 in salaries for trustees, including those who worked part of the year before the 2014 civic election and then were either not elected or retired.
Judy Shirra, a Port Coquitlam trustee and board chair, earned $43,714 while Michael Thomas, also a PoCo trustee and the board's vice-chair, received an indemnity of $40,898. Kerri Palmer Isaak, who represents Anmore and Belcarra, received $40,569 for her job as trustee and for acting as vice-chair.
Base trustee pay of $39,740 went to Carol Cahoon, Chuck Denison, Diane Sowden and Barbara Hobson (all of Coquitlam), and Lisa Park and Keith Watkins of Port Moody.
But all trustees received a pay raise back dated to Jan. 1 this year and now make $42,364.71 base pay.
In comparison, the base rate for a Surrey school trustee — responsible for close to 70,000 students compared to 31,000 for SD43 — is $32,000.
At Tuesday's board meeting, board chair Judy Shirra said trustee indemnity is being reviewed with regards to attendance.
As for administrative salaries, in the year ending June 30, 2016, the following remuneration was paid to district leadership staff.
• superintendent Patricia Gartland, $187,560;
• secretary-treasurer Mark Ferrari, $149,507;
• assistant superintendent Reno Ciolfi, $139,324;
• assistant superintendent Carey Chute, $139,324;
• assistant superintendent Gerald Shong, $129,001;
• assistant superintendent Rob Zambrano, $127,625;
• Director Learning Services Paul McNaughton, $127,913.
