The New Westminster school district’s spending on executive compensation rose 12 per cent in 2018/19 over the year prior.
Between Superintendent Karim Hachlaf, assistant superintendent Maryam Naser, secretary-treasurer Kim Morris and executive director of human resources Robert Weston, the school district spent $789,162 on salary, benefits, pension and vacation payout.
That figure is up from the $702,450 spent on the executive team in 2017/18, according to that year’s executive compensation disclosure.
The increase came from the addition of the executive director of human resources position to the roster last year, adding $190,000 to the executive payroll. But high turnover in the district’s executive offices complicates determining precise changes.
Of the four executive positions, only Hachlaf and Naser worked in the 2017/18 school year, and neither worked that full year. Hachlaf was preceded by interim superintendent Beverley Rundell, who filled in after the resignation of Patrick Duncan, while Naser was preceded by Janet Grant.
Despite being padded by $17,000 in vacation payout last year, Hachlaf’s compensation for 2018/19, at $226,000, is a fair bit lower than the combined $242,000 spent on Hachlaf and Rundell in 2017/18.
Naser’s compensation ($188,000) was also a bit lower than the $200,000 spent on Naser and Grant in 2017/18, though Grant also claimed a $26,000 vacation payout that year.
Morris’s total compensation, at $185,000, is markedly lower than the combined $261,000 spent on Kevin Lorenz ($225,000) and Teri Stoneman ($36,000) in the secretary-treasurer role, though Lorenz also claimed $58,000 in vacation payout.
In total, the district paid out $55,000 in unclaimed vacation hours last year. Hachlaf said he was unable to claim all of his vacation time due to the transition into the superintendent role.
He added that the district implemented consistent practices when it comes to how much vacation time one can bank. Because Weston had been with the school district for some time, although not counted as executive staff, his accumulation of vacation time was “quite high.” He was paid out $30,000 last year for vacation time.
Naser was paid just over $8,000 in unclaimed vacation time.
