More Jefferson County Public Schools ‘follow the money’ adventures

You can’t lose money – if you’re an educator in Jefferson County

The table below shows what happened to the first nine principals to be removed from the Persistently Low-Achieving Schools in Jefferson County. This table tells a very unsatisfactory tale.

JeffCo Salaries After Removal from PLA Schools

All of the principals were removed from these schools for cause (each principal had been in place at least three years before removal). Never the less:

• The vast majority remained employed (one retired) and

• Most of the transferees got jobs that appear to be lower responsibility positions (3 to assistant principal positions, three to staff jobs).

But, despite the demotions:

• Only one individual experienced a slight loss in these very high salaries after transfer to other positions in the Jefferson County system.

• One person was demoted from principal to assistant principal and got a nine percent pay raise!

The auditors said:

“Why the transfers occurred, despite the substantive failure in remediating achievement deficiencies in the previous school, was not explained to the reviewers.”

The audit also says:

“The practice of moving some principals from failing schools to jobs with lesser responsibilities but with the same salary (raises) serious questions about hiring practices. Moreover, the transfer to a new position without competing or even interviewing, does not assure that the most qualified person available obtains the position.”

Why should the taxpayer have to continue paying six-digit salaries to people who have been demoted? Were other, more qualified, individuals bypassed for jobs?

This highly disturbing information appears beginning on page 13 in the new “Final Report of a Study of the ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CENTRAL OFFICE STAFFING, FUNCTIONS, AND OPERATIONS” from the Jefferson County audit.