Friday, October 22, 2010
By Jordan Cohen
VIENNA
In a 3-2 vote, the Mathews Board of Education voted to reject a pay increase for Superintendent Lee Seiple.
Board President Ken Wallace, along with members Terry Woodyard and Tarin Brown, voted against raising Seiple’s pay to $93,185, which would have been a 1 percent pay increase over his current salary of $91,088. The two other board members, David Wise and Brian Stidham, voted yes.
Seiple is under contract with the district until July 31, 2014.
The board, however, voted unanimously in favor of a slight pay increase to Treasurer Teri Andrika who will earn $62,031.
After the meeting, Wallace and Woodyard would not explain the reason for their votes or whether their rejection is tantamount to a vote of no confidence in Seiple.
“I don’t discuss personnel matters,” Wallace said.
“This is between the superintendent and us in executive session,” said Woodyard.
However Brown said afterward that he does not consider his vote as a gesture of no confidence.
“I have a lot of confidence in Lee, and I think he can pull us out,” Brown said, referring to Seiple’s deficit spending reduction plan that the superintendent presented shortly after the vote. Seiple’s plan includes a reduction of his own pay by $28,000 by reducing his number of work days.
Brown acknowleged he has some differences with Seiple.
“I think some things could have been handled different [by the superintendent],” Brown said, but declined to specify.
Seiple was not available for comment.
Stidham, one of the two members who voted in favor, said he was surprised by the vote but declined to make any further statements.