Saturday, March 12, 2011

DO BISD SALARIES APPEAR TO BE TOP-HEAVY? LOOK SEE


By Juan Montoya
As the board members of the Brownsville Independent School District look for ways to pare the bloated $500 million district budget, one area of expenditures seems to beckon the cost-cutting cleavers of the BISD.
The salaries listed below are those of the top heavy employees from the superintendent on down to the homeless youth project director. Not bad for a poverty-impacted district, are they?

Brownsville ISD Salaries Salary Range ($1000s)
Highest Salary$198,000
Median Salary$37,881


Brett A Springston, Superintendent $198,000
Raquel Ayala Area Assist. (Porter) $117,642
Mary J Monfils Area Assist. Superintendent (Lopez) $117,640
Susan J Fox Asst. Supt./HR/ Title IX/ $117,640
Fred A Fuller Chief Financial Officer $111,000
Reynaldo G. Arteaga Maintenance $107,138
Sharon S Moore, Curriculum & Instruction $107,063
Kenneth J Lieck, Warehouse/Txtbks/Fixed Assets $105,811
Morrie Verner, Computer Services $102,595
Robert W Fisher Technology Services $102,595
Beatriz Gracia, BLA, PRINCIPAL $99,069
Pearl R Rendon Fine Arts (Murphy Center $98,877
Judy S Cuellar, Classified Personnel $98,782
Raul N Vasquez, Assess/Research/Evaluation $98,376
Thomas E Chavez, Athletics Dir. $98,000
Maria J Gonzales,Bilingual Education $97,112
Maria R Pena,Purchasing $95,447
Hector Hernandez Lincoln Park School PRINCIPAL $95,372
Timothy F Snyder Rivera High School PRINCIPAL $95,205
Roni Louise C Rentfro Early College PRINCIPAL $95,164
Ismael Garcia Special Programs $94,378
Drue E Munsch Mail Room $94,140
Sylvia Senteno Pace High School PRINCIPAL $93,774
Theresa A Alarcon Hanna High School PRINCIPAL $93,688
Dawn E Hall Lopez High School PRINCIPAL $93,523
Mary F Atkinson-Tolman Homeless Youth Project $93,071

Other areas that could be looked at includes the Adult Continuing Education Department, where Canales Elementary Principal reject Debbie Alford was hidden after getting scores of complaints from the teachers there. She agreed to move for a paltry $76,863.
And just below her, and doing very well thank you, is a "lead teacher (?)" Emmanuel Vasquez at $72,629.
Vasquez, apart from teaching for a nice bundle of cash, is also the chairman of PUB, placed there by former mayor Eddie Trevino, who used Vasquez to overturn the actions of the former board who had voted to change attorneys (replacing Pee Wee Rodriguez).
As can be readily seen, Vasquez's acquiescence paid off extremely well.

SOURCE: Salary data provided by agencies under the Texas Public Information Act

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about Sandra Powers earn $90, 00.00 she is only a supervisor that oversee a program under the Special Education Department. She has receives several salary increases while her husband was a BISD Board member. Even though Mr. Power was generous enough to excuse himself from the voting for his wife salary increases, she should not receive any increases by Board members regulation. How can this individual earn so much money? Sandra Powers have never taught in a classroom as required by TEA. She never been an administrator over a department or has ever been a Principal of a school. Can some question this to TEA?

Anonymous said...

Why is Mary F. Atkinson earing so much money and working for her own sister's grant, The Tolman Homeless Youth Project. How much money is her sister Mary Tolman earning? This does not make scenes. If a Project is develop under BISD should it be name BISD Homeless Youth Project or is Ms. Tolman donating the money to support this project? Maybe TEA should question what is going on in BISD.

Anonymous said...

IF THE BISD TRUSTEES WANT TO SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY HERE THEY CAN STAR WITH THE FATCATS.

Anonymous said...

So Transportation Admin makes 102, 000, and
Assistant Administrator make 91,000 in the poorest area of the U.S.

Anonymous said...

http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/government-employee-salaries/brownsville-isd/?page=35

Anonymous said...

In our school the reading coach ($61,000) does not teach any classes and even has two para professionals who are called "reading interventionist" ($19,000 each)
Reading coach has once a week grade level meeting with teachers. The other days she goes from meeting to meeting, hardly at campus, mostly at principal office.
Another of those Administrator wannabes we dont need.
I'm sure there are reading coaches who actually teach and help students. Not here!

Anonymous said...

There are many discrepencies as far as years of experience and compensation. Someone needs to study this very closely. Something is VERY FISHY and it is being covered up. There are people who never graduated from high school that are earning top dollars. There are people who are hiring their own relatives over those more qualified---husbands--sons--daughters.

Does any one know why an elementary school principal who was demoted still earn such a high salary? She does not supervise as many employees as when she was in high school. I thought she would get a reduction in pay---not a hefty raise.


These salaries need to be reduced in the crisis we find ourselves in now.The glass palace needs to let go of ALL the DEAD WEIGHT with ancient ideas and get some new blood full of energy but with lower pay.

YA APESTAN ESAS VIEJAS FLOJAS LAMBISCONAS!!!!

Anonymous said...

But Manny (Vasquez) sure knows how to put up signs . . . during work hours at that!!

Anonymous said...

I agree the same thing happens in San Benito, Harlingen and Brownsville, in hard times we have to get the movidas out of the taxpayers payroll.

And so the story goes like this, I hear tell, a director in Hidalgo County hire a secretary, who couldn't type a memo, but her dimensions were 34 26 38. I guess with those numbers who needs schooling.

Anonymous said...

I don't see any comments supporting these salaries. None.

Anonymous said...

How many specialists are found in the curriculum department? Why are they necessary? Should the curriculum administrator be able to handle the job along with each campus area admininistrator. The Dean of Instruction or Facilitiator at each campus could also chip in as should the principals and assistant principals that sit on the derierre all day long. Remove them and you will have a lot of money left over. Than, remove the area adm who does not have a cluster assigned to her, yet makes a great amount of money. When Strayhorn made her re[port as well as Sharp we were told that we were too top heavy and that was more than 10 years ago. When are we going to do something about it?

Anonymous said...

THE ONLY ACHIEVEMENT THESE ELITIST HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IS THE "DUMBING DOWN" OF OUR SOCIETY BY:
OVER 50% DROP OUT RATE
BROWNSVILLE RANKED 1ST IN IDENTITY THEFT IN THE U.S.
BROWNSVILLE RANKED 3RD DUMBEST CITY IN THE U.S.
THEY VOTED & ELECTED b HUSSEIN obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND WE'RE PAYING THESE MOTHER FU@KERS A 6 FIGURE INCOME!!!!!!!!!!!
YEP WE ARE DUMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Texas budget cuts hints a pre Kinder cut.
Would the district rather have classes with a 30 to 1 ratio and keep Pre Kinder or keep classes at 22 to 1 and eliminate PRe Kinder?
If scores are low do you think 30 to 1 will help scores get any better?
Teachers are not the problem (some are)but not all, they are hard working individuals but there are many obstacles. Some Parents are not supportive,and students not caring because lack of parental support and consequences.
And yes negativity from people who complain but do not know what it takes to teach like person above anonymous 2:53 am.
I applaud all teachers for their dedication and hard work.

Anonymous said...

anonymous of 3/16/11 @12:23 pm
ELIMINATE ILLEGALS ATTENDING AND "ANCHOR" CHILDREN AND WE WOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS PROLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AS A GENERL RULE MOST TEACHERS ARE DUMB BECUSE, IT'S THE EASIEST DEGREE TO GET. I KNOW BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE I WORKED FOR A COUPLE OF COLLEGE PROFESSORS IN THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, AND I HELP THEM PUT TOGETHER THE STUDENTS HANDOUTS, WHICH WERE QUITE INFANTILE!!!!!! SO THE DIRTY LITTLE SECRET ANY BOZO CAN GET "TEACHING DEGREE DOESN'T TAKE MUCH "BRAIN POWER"!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Rachel Ayala is not porter cluster AA. Why do you always protect her??!!!! Notice B. Pens, Guerra, and Montoya are missing ??? Duh...its not accurrate. Always protecting your friends...Ayala that is...no your facts before you post...

Anonymous said...

How much did BISD pay their last lawyers, Saldana and company? Add that figure to the list. Where is that guy anyway?

Anonymous said...

Bea Grazia is NOT the Principal at BLA. Jill Williams is. You only posted page one...there are more $90,000 people on page 2. As for the adult ed dept, how do you "hide" someone? No one hides in BISD..even you know that. As for the Director..how do you know she "agreed" to leave? or was it that she asked to be moved? and for the "scores" of complaints...wasnt it really just one with a few disgruntled teachers leading it and coercing others to join? and didnt the "reject" win that battle at the table? As for Roni Rentfro, BECHS Principal, she was the grants adm who helped the district with the BROAD and the CUBE awards....her reward: BECHS. She was never an assistant principal like everyone else who put in their "time" at a campus. Hall from Lopez left the district when she couldnt get a school and went to Los Fresnos. BISD brought her back ( a rarity) and gave her Lopez. As for the Bilingual Specialist, doesnt she only hold a Supervisors certificate and not an administrators? And where's Whittemores $100,000 on page one......???? Someone must have been bending your ear while you were writing this article....it has too many inconsistencies....always "credit the source" too many disgruntled employees in BISD that get passed up for promotions and spread hate

Anonymous said...

The information on Ayala comes from the current official record. Obviously, Bisd management will reassign, make a few changes, occasionally, to fill-in gaps. The official record is what is reported here.

Anonymous said...

All these top heavy fat cats need to be revamped. Starting with the Tony Fuller, doesn't have a masters and he is the CFO? at $120,000 and Whittemore should go back to the classroom, he only has 1 year teaching experience, what does he know about insurance.

Hope these new board members do their job about treating everyone equally and fairly and straighten out this mess very soon.

Anonymous said...

Its sad working for bisd ..They dont pay enough.. I still need to have another job and possibly 2 more jobs just to make ends meet.... In my department we are the lowest paid out of the state. Bisd doesnt respect us as employees or our certifications. The Rich get richer, and the poor stay poor. That should be bisd motto...

rita