Superintendent granted $11K+ raise

New salary reflects a 4 percent hike, By Tom Hoffman Just a few months after denying a raise to Superintendent Edward Izbicki, the Sussex-Wantage Regional School District’s Board of Education has granted him an $11,424 pay increase. The raise, which lifts Dr. Izbicki’s salary to $151,424, includes a 4 percent increase for each of the past two years. But the 2008 pay increase is not retroactive, said S-W Regional Board of Education President Thomas Card. Under the terms of Izbicki’s contract, Card said, the board has the discretion to offer the superintendent a 4 percent annual pay increase. Card said he abstained from the board’s decision on Izbicki’s raise since the superintendent supervises three of Card’s family members who work for the school district. Why the raise now? When asked via e-mail what led the board to change its position on granting Izbicki a pay increase, Card responded that the election brought new people onto the board. The board “would not grant the raise if they were not satisfied with his (Izbicki’s) performance,” said Card. The nine-person board had four new members elected last month after three previous board members — Ann Smulewicz, Diane Snure and Raymond Delbury — did not run for re-election. Another board member, Robert Hollowach, resigned his position on March 18, citing work-related conflicts. The previous board had declined to grant Izbicki a raise late last year. Last April, the board voted to postpone voting on a pay increase for Izbicki, stating that it needed more time to conduct a full evaluation of his performance. Izbicki has been in his role as superintendent since December 2007. He had served as the school district’s business administrator for the previous three years.