Cedar Rapids school board continues to grapple with ‘workload’ of some district administrators

CEDAR RAPIDS — Another personnel report was approved with dissent Monday as Cedar Rapids school leaders grapple with expanded roles and salary of some district administrators and staff after 27 positions were eliminated from the district office this past spring.

The personnel agreement was approved in a 4-2 vote, with Jennifer Borcherding and Nancy Humbles opposed. Marcy Roundtree was not present for the vote.

The report included Ryals Parker, who is chief of schools Area 2 & behavior supports, bringing his salary in line with the other two chiefs of schools in the district, school board President Cindy Garlock said.

Parker’s fiscal year 2025 salary was $145,365, and his new salary is $163,801, effective July 1. The new salary is $13,704 less than a salary proposed in July that was not approved by the school board along with seven other administrator and staff salaries.

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Borcherding said salaries for chiefs of schools was approved through the district’s certified budgeting process earlier this year.

Parker was initially given a raise July 1 “in error” over two pay periods to match the other chiefs of schools salaries, according to records of employee compensation in June and July 2025 obtained by The Gazette through an open records request.

“Upon examination, the board does not have policy, procedure or regulation defining hiring practices during an organizational restructuring,” Borcherding said Monday. “This seems inconsistent with the policy procedure regarding normal administrative hiring practices. Having a policy or procedure outlining hiring practices during restructuring will give the board the ability to ensure that actions are handled with transparency and the inclusion of all stakeholder voices. I encourage the board to examine developing this policy.”

In an email to The Gazette last month, district spokeswoman Heather Butterfield said the school board historically has not approved the duties assigned to individual positions.

“District administration is authorized to organize the administration to facilitate the most efficient and effective operation of the district,” Butterfield said.

This past spring, the district eliminated 27 positions at the Educational Leadership and Support Center, including four executive roles, to help close a $12 million budget gap. The elimination of the four executive positions totaled more than $585,700 in administrator salaries.

In July, a personnel report failed board approval in a 4-3 vote. A new report was later brought back to the board leaving off eight employees — including Parker — whose roles were changed or expanded as a result of positions that were eliminated.

Butterfield last month said those eight staff members are “performing expanded job duties without additional compensation.”

In an Aug. 25 interview with The Gazette, Garlock said, “the work is getting done.”

“No one has changed position or salary,” she said.

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Proposed pay increases for those eight employees ranged from 6 to 22 percent, much higher than the 3 percent base wage increases for teachers in the district for the 2025-26 school year. Administrators in the district are not part of a bargaining group.

The school board met in an exempt meeting Aug. 25, following the regular board meeting for the purpose of discussing employment conditions and salaries allowed under Iowa Code. Exempt meetings are not subject to Iowa’s open meetings laws.

Before the meeting, school board member Jennifer Neumann said the “workload on some of these admin is heavy” and she wants to ensure they are “being paid fairly.”

“I certainly want our team to feel supported, and I want us to have a solid understanding of their workload. I think it’s important to make sure the workload is equitable, and we understand what equitable pay is too,” said Neumann, who voted in favor of the initial personnel agreement in July.

Neumann said it’s tough and “costly” to hire new administrators — not just financially, but in the time it takes to train new people and “the momentum you lose when that happens.”

Who was left off the revised personnel report?

Under the proposed reorganization of district leadership, Karla Hogan would act as district deputy while retaining her current position as chief financial officer. Hogan’s salary for the 2025 fiscal year salary, which ended June 30, was $176,795, and her proposed new salary is $199,250, a 12.7 percent increase.

Chad Schumacher, the district’s operation director, would add technology to his role if approved by the board. Schumacher’s 2025 fiscal year salary was $139,000, and his proposed new salary is $152,665, a 9.8 percent increase.

Adam Zimmermann, the district’s executive director of innovation, would absorb some responsibilities of the chief data officer — a position eliminated from the district — and will continue to serve as principal of City View Community High School under the proposed plan. His 2025 fiscal year salary was $167,389, and his proposed salary is $177,505, a 6 percent increase.

The Office of Academics is being restructured to continue to meet the needs of students, families and staff. Many responsibilities will be absorbed by the district’s three chiefs of schools. Each of their proposed salaries is $177,505.

Maura Hobson’s proposed title is chief of schools Area 1 & chief of curriculum, Instruction and Assessments. Her fiscal year 2025 salary was $164,750, and she’s proposed to receive a 7.7 percent salary increase.

Mark Timmerman’s proposed title is chief of schools Area 3 and personalized programming. His fiscal year 2025 salary was $164,750. The proposed new salary would be a 7.7 percent increase.

Two other staff members’ titles and salaries have not been approved by the school board. Those people are Derek Loutsch, whose 2025 fiscal year salary was $85,672, and his proposed salary is $97,080, a 13 percent increase. The other is Heather Marner, whose 2025 fiscal year salary was $62,430, and her proposed salary is around $66,310, a 6 percent increase.

Comparing Cedar Rapids salaries to other urban districts

Here’s how the proposed salaries compare to school administrators in similar positions at other urban Iowa school districts.

In the Iowa City Community School District, which has a certified enrollment of about 14,500:

In the Sioux City Community School District, which has a certified enrollment of about 14,400:

The Cedar Rapids Community School District’s certified enrollment is about 16,000.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com