The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1946-02-07
TEACHERS PROTEST
SALARY CONTRACT
ABOVE SCHEDULE.
Boards Action in Hiring Manual
Training Instructor Draws
Teachers Fire
Higher Salary Must be Paid if
Closed Department is to Re-
open, Board Says


Objection of Bluffton teachers to
action of the board of education in
hiring a manual training instructor
at a figure in excess of the high
school salary schedule came to a
head at a joint meeting of represen.
tatives of the Blutfton Teachers as
sociation and the school board. last
Wednesday night.
Spokesman for teachers in attend
ance at the session said they were
seeking IAN equal distribution of
money available for the public school
faculty on the basis of the present
salary schedule"
Re-opening of Buttons manual
training department after it had
been closed nearly two years was as
sured last December, when the board
of education employed A. Dwight
Spayth for the last half of the
school year on the basis of an an
nual salary of $4,000, with provision
for a salary of $1,000 beginning next
fall.
Teachers attending the meeting
said their objection was not a refiec
ton on Spayth's qualifications, but
they were protesting that his salary
is several hundred dollars greater
than the maximum permitted under
the schools salary schedule.
Average Salary S1,997
Under the schedule, adopted last
June, annual salaries for full-time
high school instructors teaching nine
months of the year range from ST.
668 to S2,052, with an average of
81, 1897.
Discussion still was at a deadlock
when the meeting ended, with the
teachers maintaining their objections,
while the school board countered
with statement that the only hope
to operate the department, which
has an enrolment of SO pupils is to
pay a salary in excess of that
provided by the schools schedule.
Board members pointed out that
the salary schedule when adopted
last June contained clause in which
the school board reserves the right
to pay above or below the schedule,
if in their opinion the welfare of the
school demands it.
Two other members of the high
school faculty also are being paid
in excess of the salary schedule, the
school board said. The instructor in
home economics, employed on To-
months basis, receives a salary
above the schedule, and the coaching
position is being filled on a half
time basis in excess of the salary
schedule. In neither case, however,
is the salary as large as that provid-
ed for the manual training depart
ment, and teachers made no issue of
the matter.
What Spayth's salary would be if
hired under the schedule also was a
matter of dispute at last Wednes-
days meeting. This discussion
centered around the technicality as
to whether time he spent in the
United States Navy during the war
should be credited to his teaching
experience.
Dispute Over Credit
Board members held that he was
entitled to credit for the time spent
in service, but teachers said that in
asmuch as he was employed in priv
ate industry when he enlisted, the
naval service could not properl5 be
credited to teaching experience.
Spayth had been an instructor at
West Liberty from 1888 TO 1)42
then worked in private industry as
tool designer until he enlisted in
the Navy in February. 1943.
After an evening of discussion
however, the matter still resolved
itself to the conclusion that if Bluff
ton hopes to again operate the man.
ual training department closed since
June, 1914, an instructor for it must
be hired above schedule, according
to spokesman for the board oi
education.
In the intervening period of almost
two years, it has been impossible tc
employ a manual training teacher a
figure that the local salary sched
ule would permit, and the only
chance to resume operations was In
action such as taken by the boarc
in hiring Spayth last December.
New Board Approves
Spayth was hired by the outgoing
board of education which relinquish
ed office on December 81. Of thi!
group, however, two members, Waldo
Hofstetter and Levi Althaus hel.
over and are serving on the presen
Continued on page 81