MUSCATINE, Iowa — The salary paid to principals in the Muscatine Community School District ranks at the bottom of the state’s 30-largest districts, according to the Iowa Department of Education, and that doesn’t sit well with the Muscatine School Board.

During a regular Monday night meeting, the Board unanimously tabled a request to approve the recently negotiated contracts for the District administrators until they have more time to look at state statistics.

The decision came after Board member Clyde Evans told the Board the salaries of Muscatine administrators were low enough to discourage principals from staying in Muscatine.

According to the state-wide statistics, principals in many nearby, smaller districts earn significantly more than Muscatine administrators.

Tipton, with a student population of 837, pays an average of $87,154 compared to the $75,053 earned in 2008-09 for working in this district of 5,477.

West Liberty, a district of 1,205, pays $81,362 and Wilton, with an enrollment of 842 students, pays $82,680.

When it comes to Iowa’s 30 largest districts, principals in Indianola, where the student population is 3,379, earn $113,465. In Bettendorf, the average is $98,254. The student population there is 4,083.

“We’re losing a lot of good administrators,” said Evans, who is concerned that principals will move to better paying districts.

Despite the disparity in wages, Muscatine does pay more than the neighboring Louisa-Muscatine and Durant districts with salaries of $69,758 and $74,825 respectively.

The Board agreed unanimously to table the contract decision and president Tom Welk said the Board will meet in the near future to discuss the issue.

Superintendent Tom Williams said the Board can set a planning meeting and have the salaries be the focus of that meeting.

Math and science

recognition

Monday’s meeting  also included a special recognition of the Muscatine High School math and science departments.

Lyn Countryman, executive director of the Iowa Mathematics and Science Coalition, announced that her Coalition selected Muscatine High School as the winner of its Iowa Student Science Technology Engineering Mathematics Video Competition.

Students in teacher Josh Hanna’s class were videotaped by MHS sophomore Steven Bieber as they participated in science projects.  Bieber, also edited the film.

Hanna’s students learned about the contest when they attended the  Coalition’s Iowa Student Science Technology Engineering and Math Symposium in November 2008, where they learned to become advocates for math and science at their school.

The students were challenged to develop a one-minute promotional video designed to increase student interest in taking more math and science classes.

“We tap into the kids’ excitement, enthusiasm and energy,” said Countryman.

The Coalition also gave Hanna’s students — Bieber, Alex Steffen, Kinsey Edmonds, Rebecca Sloat and Kadie Harden — iPods and Hanna received some technological equipment to use in the classroom.

The Board also

Approved the tentative list of 431 2009 graduating seniors.

Approved the District-developed service delivery plan for special education services.

Approved the hiring of:

Brian Chapman, head of boys’ bowling

Elizabeth Wetli, special education at Washington Elementary

Elizabeth Levi-Baird, special education at Madison Elementary.