Board Approves New Contract For Erickson
The Wolf Point School board, on a 4-0 vote, approved a new contract for superintendent of schools Loverty Erickson during the monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 14.
The new three-year contract runs from July 1, 2022, and ends on June 30, 2025.
The contract calls for Erickson to have a salary of $115,000 for the first two years of the contract and $118,000 for the 2024-2025 school year. Her current salary is $95,000.
According to the contract, the board understands that Erickson is a candidate to receive a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction. She will receive an additional $2,500 each school year once she obtains the doctorate degree.
In addition, she will receive a longevity payment of $1,000 for each year of her employment in the district. She started working for the district in July 2019.
Patricia Toavs, co-president of the Wolf Point Education Association, questioned why the contract was being conducted in February while it was normally done in January. Board chair Linda Hansen said Toavs’ comment will be noted.
Jeff Weldon, legal counsel of Felt Martin PC, was requested to assist the board by negotiating and preparing a proposed superintendent employment agreement.
Weldon wrote to the board, “The benefit to the district of a three-year term is continued administrative stability. A change in administration even under the best circumstances is disruptive and time consuming for the board. Moreover, it takes time to see any benefit from systemic changes initiated by a new administration. The risk of a threeyear term is that if the relationship between a board and a superintendent does not work out, ending the relationship with a longer term is more expensive than ending one with a shorter term.”
He added, “All things considered, it is my opinion that another threeyear term is in the best interests of the district. Superintendent Erickson mentioned that she has been contacted by another school district about the possibility of working in that other district. Given the anticipated number of vacancies in school administrative positions around the state, I imagine Superintendent Erickson could receive other such inquiries. I believe it will benefit the district, the board, your students, your staff and your community to continue a longer period of administrative stability (i.e., no anticipated change in administration).”
