Update to the Controversy Surrounding Dr. Varley’s Salary Increase

Answers Lead to More Questions

I am still waiting for a response from the Board on what should be simple questions about the Superintendent’s Salary Increase.

The Board did approve the 2% raise with a vote on June 5th 2023- so let me set the record straight on that issue.  

So to answer the question I asked in a prior article: Did Dr. Varley get a Raise Without a Board Vote? 

No – the Board voted to give her a raise – unanimously in fact.

I, John Migueis – alone – take full responsibility for missing that fact.

I don’t really feel bad about it though …..because it’s not the end of the story. 

Part of what made this an exercise in forensic accounting was that there needed to be a resolution to approve CSA (Superintendent’s) evaluation and the annual increase.

Remember that any increase during this current contract term is to be based on performance.

Dr. Varley’s name and new salary hike were presented on the June 5, 2023, agenda under central office staff. 

Yet, as of June 29th, the Board of Education still had not completed her evaluation.

How did the superintendent recommend the re-employment salaries (including her own) before the CSA (Superintendent evaluation) was completed? 

Remember, Dr. Varley received an early extension and early pay increase and that any increase is meant to be performance-based.  The 2% increase Dr. Varley received in 2023 would be indicative of an “Exceeds Expectations,” yet, as demonstrated, her evaluation was not even completed.

The CSA evaluation is governed by state law.

Another interesting note is that the Superintendent’s name was not included in the past years as a part of the “Central Office” cluster. The process of position inclusion in that section happened gradually since Dr. Varley started her role. 

In the 5th June 2023 agenda, Varley is not even called out as “Administration” as was in 2022.

In the past, the agenda was upfront of the Superintendent being a separate entity from the “central office.” 

What is clear to me, at least, is that the entire process leading to this pay increase feels  clouded at best and divorced from the process at worst. We may be able to take a few steps back from the notion that taxpayers were defrauded, but important questions remain before we can put those concerns completely to rest.

Related Articles:

Did Dr. Varley Get a Raise Without a Board Vote?