Churchill School district approves early retirements

By MICHAEL MARESH

Nevada Appeal News Service

The Churchill County School Board Thursday night approved an early retirement incentive program for eight longtime employees who were in the upper salary range for their positions in the district.

Of the eight employees, one was Finance Director Jim Sustacha, who has been with the district since 1978. In buying him out, it will cost the district more than $80,000.

High school teacher Gary Lanners, who has spent 28 years with the CCSD, will receive $60,432 in retirement credits, which is the second-highest amount the district will have to pay out among the eight.

The total cost to the district for the eight employees is almost $328,000.

Assistant Superintendent Gregg Malkovich said 36 educators applied for the early retirement incentive program, and 29 of those fit the qualifications.

Malkovich said the eight selected had the most seniority of the 29 who applied.

He said he is going to talk to the other 21 educators to see if they would accept having their unused sick pay used as credits in the Public Employment Retirement System in exchange for their retirements.

Malkovich has spoken with all of the employees at least once about the proposal, and added it has been well received.

He also said he does not want to lose these experienced teachers, but mentioned it saves the district a lot of money to hire less experienced teachers to replace the higher-paid veterans who retire.

"That would be my recommendation," he said. "Most of the people will probably go for it."

District Superintendent Carolyn Ross said she is going to bring to the school board a business plan model in an effort to replace some of Sustacha's duties. She said the plan will save the district money. He is making about $93,000 a year.

The school board applauded Malkovich's recommendation.

"It's am excellent idea, and I am glad you made it," said trustee Ron Evans.

After hearing of the eight who were approved in the early retirement incentive program, contracts for the other administrators were discussed.

The contracts for Malkovich, Educational Services Director Jane Anderson and Marva Cleven, director of special services, were approved with no increases in salary for the administrators for the second consecutive year.

"We want to be models for the rest," Ross said, alluding to the other employees in the district who may not have their wages raised for the upcoming school year.

Board member Richard Gent wanted a plan through which the three administrators could be evaluated midway through their new one-year contracts.

Ross said there will be ongoing supervision of the three employees.

In similar news, Sustacha told the board how much money the governor is mandating from the districts as part of his 4.5 percent cut across the board for all state agencies.

The district will have to pay back almost $336,000 to the state by the end of the year, and it will also have to tell the state how it plans to do that by the end of April.

"We have to make sure our budgets are very, very close," he said.