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9-R leader receives new pay plan

Snowberger’s performance to determine salary, benefits
Snowberger

The compensation package for Durango School District 9-R Superintendent Dan Snowberger is switching to a different footing, starting this year.

Instead of negotiating for salary and benefits, Snowberger will be paid for his performance in 18 categories, nine based on how well he runs the district and nine based on student performance.

Snowberger, who had a similar arrangement at Harrison School District in the Colorado Springs area before he came to Durango, initiated the change. The 9-R board approved the change at its Tuesday night meeting.

Discussions are being held on whether the same type of compensation will be offered to school principals, assistant principals and department heads at the district office.

Under the new approach, board members will rate Snowberger’s performance annually.

He can earn a one-time bonus of 1 percent, or fraction thereof, based on how well he runs the district. Each of the nine categories counts for one-ninth of the total bonus.

Among the issues on which Snowberger will be graded is how well he communicates with the board, his handling of personnel issues, discipline, protection of assets and financial planning.

Snowberger can earn a maximum 2 percent salary increase, or fraction thereof, based on student academic performance. Whatever he earns here, will be added to his $150,000 base salary to become the starting point the next year.

The categories of student performance are pretty straightforward – literacy, math, science, social studies, health and physical education, arts, and 21st century life and career skills.

The categories earn maximum remuneration that ranges from 0.15 percent for some categories to 0.5 percent for mathematics. Math is most richly rewarded because it is the weakest area of student performance as seen on recent state tests.

As an example, if board members are happy with student grades in math, they could give the maximum 0.5 percent reward, which would add about $750 to Snowberger’s base salary.

Literacy level was a close second, with a maximum remuneration of 0.45 percent.

The new approach to superintendent pay is a first for the district, spokeswoman Julie Popp said.

Performance-based remuneration has been around for a time in Colorado, said Bruce Caughey, executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives.

In 1993, when he was communications director for Douglas County School District, the first performance-based pay plan for all district employees was created. It was the first such plan in the nation, Caughey said.

daler@durangoherald.com



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