The intentions were good. In fact, Superintendent Debbie Flores
more than likely deserves additional money.
The intentions were good. In fact, Superintendent Debbie Flores more than likely deserves additional money. She’s done a spectacular job in her first year – student achievement is up considerably, morale appears to be as good as it’s ever been, and she accepted responsibility for making a poor hire which resulted in her taking on an additional administrative burden, adding human resources duties to her responsibilities.
That said, the manner in which the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustees unanimously awarded her what is essentially a $12,000 bonus, establishes a bad precedent and raises unnecessary questions in difficult financial times. The Board decided to retroactively and going forward grant Flores the cash the district didn’t shell out for one year because she declined health benefits. That amounts to about $1,000 per month.
It would have been far wiser – even in tough economic times – to either grant her a bonus or award her a merit pay increase.
Instead, this action opens up Pandora’s Box. And given the usual prudence this Board has exhibited, it’s a stunning surprise.
While the Board’s decision could be filed under the heading “No good deed goes unpunished,” it must also be catalogued under “Good intention, poor judgment.”
When she was hired, Flores declined to use her health benefits. This is not an unusual decision; sometimes spouses have better benefits through their employer, and it makes sense for those employees to decline GUSD benefits. The rule for employees in this situation is that they use or lose their GUSD benefits. But by bending the rules, and by bending them retroactively, GUSD sets a terrible precedent and opens itself up to howls of criticism and cries of elitism.
Oh, the questions … How many other GUSD employees are not using their benefits? Why can’t teacher’s union members who decline their health benefits get the district’s portion in cash? After all, they are paid far less than the $187,000 annually the superintendent earns. What about bus drivers, janitors and school secretaries?
Life’s not fair, to be sure, but honestly those are fair questions; questions that the district, when sitting at the bargaining table, would never have had to answer before. In addition, the effect on morale surely won’t be positive.
Trustees deserve an A+ for hiring Supt. Flores, but this decision gets an ugly F.
