The cash-strapped New Westminster school district has given a senior administrator a $13,000 raise at a time when it owes approximately $4.3 million to the province for ongoing budget shortfalls.
Al Balanuik’s salary was increased last February from $132,033 to $145,000 because his position was combined into a dual role of assistant superintendent and secretary-treasurer, according to the district. Balanuik took over the district’s dire finances last spring when former secretary-treasurer Brian Sommerfeldt left with a $195,320 severance package after four years of employment.
“The secretary-treasurer position, in the hierarchy of public education, is a higher position than assistant superintendent. It’s usually the second position in the district, and he has more responsibility, so he has not just educational responsibilities but the financial responsibilities as well,” board of education chair Michael Ewen said.
The payout to Sommerfeldt came at a time when the district announced it had to cut about 60 positions to offset a multi-million dollar structural deficit for this year, in addition to dealing with owing money to the province.
The school district’s contract with Sommerfeldt entitled him to 18 months’ notice of termination of employment or compensation in lieu of notice, according to information obtained by The Record through a freedom-of-information request in April. Sommerfeldt joined the New Westminster school district in March 2009, replacing Doug Wong as secretary-treasurer.
The district is still paying Sommerfeldt severance in monthly installments.
“That won’t be off the books until next August,” Ewen said.
The district also brought in Sheldon Lee to be the district’s director of finance. Lee previously worked for the district as assistant secretary-treasurer. The district couldn’t be reached at press time to say how much Lee is earning for his current role.
The B.C. Public School Employers’ Association and the board of education approved Balanuik’s raise.
Superintendent John Woudzia is the district’s highest earner with a salary of $150,989.
