For the past 17 months, the elected Governing Board of the East Valley Institute of Technology has made it a priority to ensure that all employees are fairly compensated and that there is transparency in how the superintendent is paid.
At the board’s request, the salaries of all EVIT employees were reviewed to determine if staff were properly compensated based on their years of experience and education. Last year, after a thorough review of teachers’ salaries, the board determined that some teachers had been underpaid when they were hired and adjusted their salaries accordingly. This year, the same review was done for all other EVIT employees and appropriate adjustments were made.
In June, the board approved a 7 percent salary increase for all certified instructional staff and a 2 percent increase for all other employees.
Also in June, the board approved a two-year contract for Superintendent Dr. Chad Wilson. Often in Arizona, a superintendent’s compensation includes benefits that are not always visible in records requested by the public, for instance, vehicle allowances and annuities. In an effort to increase transparency, the board and Dr. Wilson agreed to eliminate hidden benefits and compensation. When they negotiated his salary, they agreed upon an amount that is a fair reflection of current market costs for a similar role and responsibility.
“I was not comfortable with having benefits that are not easily identified, plus I think not quantifying the compensation as a base-salary devalues the position,” Dr. Wilson said. “If the market defines X as the cost of attracting and retaining quality employees, then as an organization we need to do all we can to meet the expectation and openly communicate this to our communities. I think this is a much better way to move the organization forward and I’m thankful the board was agreeable.”