Racine Unified Plans Administrator Cuts to Help Balance 2011-12 Budget

The Racine Unified School District plans to cut its deputy superintendent and five other administrative posts to help plug a $7.4 million hole in the 2011-12 budget.

RUSD Superintendent Dr. Jim Shaw said publicly in March and again at Monday’s School Board meeting that a smaller Administrative Service Center staff was inevitable because he wanted to try to minimize cuts that would directly affect classroom learning.

Cost reductions of $1.5 million from the Administrative Service Center were among the proposed cuts discussed with the School Board on Monday. Shaw outlined a few more specifics in an email to RUSD staff Tuesday.

Among the proposed reductions are:

• Eliminating the deputy superintendent position. That post is currently held by Alan Harris who joined Racine Unified in 2009. He is paid a $124,086 annual salary, according to 2011 data filed with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
• Eliminating one of three area superintendent positions. The remaining two area superintendents will oversee the district’s elementary schools and secondary schools, respectively.
• Reducing the number of administrative supervisors from 10 to six.

With the exception of the deputy superintendent post, it’s unclear exactly how much will be saved with fewer administrators.

Two of the three current area superintendents—Brian Colbert and Steve Russo—plan to retire effective June 30. Colbert’s annual salary is $109,601, according to DPI records. Russo’s annual salary is $105,345.

The third area superintendent, Dr. Bethel Cager, has a $117,164 annual salary.

Salary data for all RUSD administrative supervisors is not included in the data because some also have teaching duties, said Marc Duff, RUSD budget director. The listed administrative supervisor annual salaries range from $77,158 to $83,125.

About 250 employees, including administrators, specialists and support staff, are assigned to RUSD’s Administrative Service Center although not all are based at 2220 Northwestern Ave. The Administrative Service Center is scheduled to relocate to new quarters on Mount Pleasant Street by late summer. 

Administrative salary data for Wisconsin’s public school districts can be found at: http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/lbstat/newasr.html