Mt. Lebanon School Board eyes raise for superintendent

Mt. Lebanon School District School Board will vote June 20 on a proposed salary increase and merit bonus for Superintendent Timothy Steinhauer.
The two provisions related to Steinhauer’s compensation are a merit bonus for the amount of $20,000, payable this month, along with an amendment to his current contract that expires June 30, 2019.
The three separate components of the contractual salary increase would be a 5.5 percent annual increase over the next two years and a 6 percent increase in 2018-19. It will also increase the annual tax-deferred supplement provided under his contract and allow for the possibility of additional compensation in forms of bonuses if the board determines that to be appropriate based on his performance.
If approved, Steinhauer’s salary for 2016-17 would be $194,779.
“Our community and our district demands excellence,” Lawrence Lebowitz, school board president, said at Monday’s board discussion meeting. “We demand that same excellence from our leaders. I’m very pleased to say that the fact remains that Dr. Steinhauer has met that very high standard.”
According to the board, the salary will put Steinhauer among the top-paid superintendents in western Pennsylvania and is a direct result of successfully handling the high school renovation project. The only remaining part of the initial $109 million project is the outdoor tennis courts, which plans call for to be completed by fall of 2016.
“The primary impetus for the bonus is the excellent work he has done leading our construction project over these many years,” said Lebowitz. “All of that was going on while he was leading the district to new heights and reaching new levels of academic excellence. Our kids have been performing extremely well at all levels, whether it is at the high school, middle schools or elementary schools.
“The combination of those two things combined with the fact that he is getting more and more experience and tenure lead to the conclusion that we need to appropriately compensate him.”
The total budget for the high school project that will span 10 years, after planning began in 2006, is only .05 percent over the original estimates. It was a project that many board members admitted that Steinhauer could have shied away from, but he led the efforts to enable a successful outcome.
“Had the high school project unfolded poorly, it would have cost our residents additional tax dollars, the board’s reputation would have suffered, and the architect and construction managers would have been embarrassed,” said school board member Hugh Beal. “Dr. Steinhauer’s professional career would have been profoundly damaged. Nevertheless, Dr. Steinhauer took that tremendous risk and here we are today in our outstanding new high school.”
The board will also vote next week on:
• Annual salary for 12-month secretaries to reflect an average increase of 2.89 percent over the duration of the contract.
• Annual salary for administrative assistants and supervisors that reflect an average increase of 2.9 percent.
• Annual salary for head custodians that reflect an average increase of 2.9 percent.
• Annual salary for administrators that reflect an average increase of 2.9 percent
• Annual salary increase of 2.9 percent for assistant superintendents Ronald Davis and Marybeth Irvin, based on performance.
If approved, all salary changes will be effective July 1.