Monday, Nov. 02, 2009

Beaufort super refuses bonus, cites economy

BEAUFORT - Beaufort County schools superintendent Valerie Truesdale says she will refuse any bonus the Board of Education might award her this year for boosting student achievement and meeting other goals.

"I just don't think that's appropriate," Truesdale said at the board's annual fall retreat on Saturday.

She said money is tight during these challenging economic times and it would be unreasonable for her to personally gain from the collective efforts of the district, including its teachers and other instructional leaders.

The board met Saturday to evaluate Truesdale's performance during the 2008-09 school year and determine whether she should receive the annual performance-based bonus listed in her contract. Truesdale received a $17,500 bonus last year.

However, after a three-hour closed session, the board said they would postpone Truesdale's formal evaluation until January, when scores on the state-mandated Palmetto Assessment of State Standards are expected to be available from the S.C. Department of Education.

The new test, which third- through eighth-graders took for the first time last school year, replaces the old Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test. The board's academic goals for Truesdale are tied to student performance on PASS tests.

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