Falls School Board Offers Superintendent Incentives to Stay

The approved Saturday night, in a 3-2 vote, to amend Superintendent Ed Holland’s contract, extending its length and giving him an almost 8 percent boost in benefits -- in an attempt to entice him to decline a job offer from Cuyahoga Heights schools.

The increase amounts to an additional $9,000 annually.

Holland was offered a superintendent position in the Cuyahoga Heights City School district this week. Falls school board President Therese Dunphy expects Holland to make a decision before the end of the week.

Dunphy said she hopes Holland takes the board's counter-offer and stays in Cuyahoga Falls.

Board Member Dale Petty believes other factors may have Holland leaning toward taking the new job.

“Dr. Holland has indicated that it may not always be about the money and what my concern is that he’s indicated that he’s been fed up with our behavior and I think that the history of board behavior has more to do with this than his wanting to leave this district, than anything financially,” Petty said.

All changes made to Holland's contract at the school board's special meeting Saturday night are based on his current salary of $115,573.

Changes include:

• Contract length would last for four years from 2011 to 2015
• Longevity pay would amount to $3,250 each year
• The tax sheltered annuity was raised from 3.5 percent to 6.5 percent annually

Fringe benefits:

• 20 days vacation

• Holland would be allowed to carry over a maximum of five paid vacation days to the next school year and up to 10 vacation days may be converted to cash, up from five days (his current rate per day is $506.90).

Board Vice President Dave Rump worries the additional $9,000 in incentives to keep Holland come at a bad time, as the district has a levy on the May 6 ballot.

“There are a lot of good young people out there, administrators, that would love to come to Cuyahoga Falls,” Rump said. “I don’t buy the idea that since we’re in a mess of some sort, that they wouldn’t want to come to Cuyahoga Falls.”

“We’re assuming that everybody’s in agreement, which I don’t think they are, with the fact that Dr. Holland is doing a great job. I talk to a lot of people who are in the Cuyahoga Falls school district myself and that feeling is not a predominant feeling.”

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