Los Banos school board members tussle over interim superintendent contract

The Los Banos Unified School District board of trustees has agreed to significantly boost the pay of its assistant superintendent while he fills in as supervisor despite concerns about his skill set and how the agreement was negotiated.

The board voted unanimously Thursday to raise the salary of Assistant Superintendent Dean Bubar from his scheduled annual pay of $155,822 to $188,941 retroactive to April 27. On July 1, he’ll receive an additional raise, boosting it to $200,227 – 28 percent above his current pay. If he stays in the interim superintendent role, the salary would increase again to $206,286 (32 percent above his current pay) on July 1, 2017.

Bubar’s pay increase is retroactive to when he was appointed interim superintendent on April 27 to fill in for Steve Tietjen, who is leaving the district to become superintendent for the Merced County Office of Education on July 1. Tietjen currently is on paid administrative leave due to a family matter.

Board trustee John Mueller said the raise brings Bubar’s salary to the same level Tietjen would have received had he not left the district. Bubar’s pay would revert to its original level should he be replaced by a permanent superintendent. Currently there is no formal search underway for a permanent successor: The trustees voted on May 12 to delay the bid process for a professional search.

Mueller and fellow trustee Dennis Areias expressed concerns about putting Bubar’s pay on par with Tietjen’s.

“I have a hard time paying a man that doesn’t have the same experience as a veteran superintendent, like we had, the same money,” Mueller said Friday. “But we were informed that it would be very hard to recruit a new superintendent if we didn’t match (Tietjen’s salary) for the acting superintendent.”

Mueller said he was concerned about Bubar’s increase considering his lack of teaching credentials.

Bubar oversaw the administrative services department of the district as an assistant superintendent. He was able to take the acting superintendent role due to the board’s decision on May 26 to waive requirements for teaching and administrative credentials.

Mueller noted that while Bubar is taking on an increased role, the rest of the administrative staff is doing the same.

Areias was also concerned with the salary level of the increase.

“Paying Bubar that much more, that’s not right,” Areias told The Enterprise on Friday. “He’s a terrific guy for facilities and he’s great with money. I wouldn’t want to replace him. But he’s got no teaching experience.”

Members of the board also objected to actions by trustee Tommy Jones that appeared to be an attempt to go behind the board to boost Bubar’s pay.

During the May 26 board meeting, Jones advised the board to hold off on paying for a superintendent search and keeping Bubar on an interim basis to “give him a chance.”

School Board President Anthony Parreira said Jones had asked Bubar to prepare his own contract to present to the board.

“(Jones) isn’t authorized on his own to negotiate a contract,” Areias told The Enterprise. “He asked Dean Bubar to write up his own contract.”

Areias said Jones admitted to the allegation in closed session.

Jones scoffed at Areias’ comments during the Thursday meeting. He did not return repeated calls from The Enterprise requesting comment after the meeting.

On Jones directly instructing Bubar to prepare a contract, Parreira said the issue was addressed in closed session.

“It was not what a board member should have done,” Parreira said. “It should have gone through the board president.”

In a separate matter, the district’s assistant superintendent of human resources, Pat Atkins, has submitted a letter of resignation effective June 30 to become the superintendent of the Pollock Pines Elementary School District.

“It has been my distinct pleasure working in this district for the past 20 years,” Atkins said in an email that was forwarded to The Enterprise. “In my role as teacher, assistant principal, principal, area administrator and assistant superintendent for human resources I have had the utmost of support from students, parents and staff. I will always be thankful for the relationships that I have had with you as we all worked together to serve the students of our district.”

Bubar said the district will seek applications for the position until June 30. As of Monday, the district had received nine.

As the district searches for a new human resources director, Bubar said he will share Atkins’ duties with the remaining assistant superintendents, Paul Enos and Paula Mastrangelo.

This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 7:19 PM with the headline "Los Banos school board members tussle over interim superintendent contract."