February 2005

VOL. 15 NO. 7

As reported in the January Unifier, a general membership meeting was held at Valley High School on January 20 to solicit input regarding recommendations for changing or modifying the compensable factors in the school based and non school based classification and reclassification systems.

This input in its entirety was reviewed, discussed, and debated by the CCASAPE Representative Council during its annual, all day business meeting on February 11, 2005.

In its review of the input received from the membership, the Representative Council took a very comprehensive approach in considering each of the recommendations received for changing and improving the current process. After reviewing all of the input and recommendations related to the school based system for principals, it was decided that the current salary ranges for principals from Range 41 through 45 will remain the same. It is anticipated that other recommended changes or modifications to the school based and the non school based systems will be identified by the end of March and will be communicated to the membership at that time. These recommendations will be proposed during negotiations with the District.

Administrators are reminded that the administrative classification and reclassification system is a dynamic process that will continue to be reviewed annually. The process will continue to be modified over time. Changes and revisions to the system will occur during the negotiations process between CCASAPE and the District.

It is the belief of some administrators that because they are CCASAPE members that it is CCASAPE’s obligation and responsibility to ensure that their positions are elevated to higher ranges. CCASAPE’s responsibility to its members is to ensure that all members are treated fairly and that the integrity of the reclassification process is maintained. CCASAPE’s responsibility is to ensure that all administrators have an opportunity to influence the system, to have their voice heard, and to have their requests and recommendations considered, debated, and acted upon.

The current system may not be perfect. But it is CCASAPE’s belief that the system is a better, fairer system than what previously existed. CCASAPE’s commitment to all administrators is to ensure that the system remains dynamic and that it is constantly reexamined to ensure that it is as fair and equitable as possible to all.

Each year CCASAPE provides two (2) scholarships in the amount of $1000.00 each. Each applicant must be a senior enrolled in the Clark County School District and a legal dependent of an active CCASAPE member.

The counselor assigned to scholarship information in each of the high schools received the CCASAPE scholarship information during the third week in February. The deadline for submission of applications is Monday, April 4, 2005. The CCASAPE Scholarship Committee will identify recipients in April.

Gretchen Crehan, principal of Foothill High School, serves as the chairperson for the Scholarship Committee. Also serving on the committee are CCASAPE members Richard Arguello, SNVTC principal, and Liz Fraser, principal at Durango High School.

Please be reminded that any administrator planning to retire on or before June 30, 2005, (will not begin employment in the 2005-2006 school year) must schedule a meeting with the CCASAPE staff and complete the form to participate in the retiree unused sick leave payout, retiree health insurance payout, and retiree life insurance / retiree long term care programs. THE FORM MUST BE COMPLETED AND FILED WITH THE CCASAPE OFFICE PRIOR TO MAY 1, 2005, IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE JUNE 2005 PAYOUT. Please call the CCASAPE office at 796-9602 if you have any questions.

Also, as a reminder, any retiring administrator who is 55 or older or who will turn 55 in the calendar year of his/her retirement will automatically have the final vacation payoff deposited in the 401(a) qualified tax deferred plan at Bencor, Inc. Participating administrators will avoid the payment of Medicare tax and will postpone and possibly reduce the payment of federal income tax.

CCASAPE has joined with staff at AIG-VALIC to schedule quarterly administrator information meetings regarding the 401(a) Plan, related investment options, and other qualified tax plans. Mr. Paul Larson or Shirley Whalen in the local AIG-VALIC office will be assisting administrators with various options associated with the 401(a) Plan. Two information meetings have been held thus far this school year. The next quarterly meeting is scheduled for March 9, 2005, at 3:45 p.m. at the CCASAPE office. Please mark your calendars now! Since space is limited, please call the CCASAPE office to reserve your seat for this important meeting.

If you have questions regarding the scheduled meeting or any aspect of the 401(a) Plan, please do not hesitate to contact the CCASAPE office or Paul Larson or Shirley Whalen at AIG-VALIC, 796-0047.

As you know, the Clark County School District requires that all professional organizations communicate with their members through the U.S. Postal Service rather than the CCSD mail. In order for CCASAPE to ensure that you receive its communications, it is critical that we be notified when you have a change of address. If you have moved recently, please call Debbie or Sadie in the CCASAPE office (796-9602) and provide your new address. The District should also be notified since we purchase labels from the District for our large group mailings.

On February 11, 2005, the CCASAPE Representative Council held its regular monthly meeting and annual retreat. The major items discussed and/or actions taken during the regular meeting included the following:

1. The revenue, expenditures, and balances within the CCASAPE Association and Trust Fund Accounts were reviewed;

2. A review of the status of:

A. Long Term Disability Contract - The new LTD contract with Standard became effective February 1, 2005, and resulted in a premium decrease of $.39 per month per administrator. Premium decreases will be reflected in a reduction in the additional income that all administrators receive each pay day. The amount will reduce from $21.93 to $21.74 per pay day;

B. Sierra Health Mailer - Sierra Health will soon be mailing out new inserts for the medical benefits binder. A joint letter from Stephen and Don Giancursio, Sierra Vice President, will provide pertinent information regarding changes in the health plan and instructions regarding the new insert materials;

3. New Business:

A. CCASAPE Scholarships – Application materials were provided to the members of the Representative Council. Materials will be distributed to schools during the week of February 14, 2005. Completed applications are due to Gretchen Crehan, Foothill High School principal and chair of the CCASAPE Scholarship Committee, by April 4, 2005;

B. Representative Council Vacancy – Ron Montoya, principal at Valley High School, was selected by the CCASAPE Executive Board to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Sue DeFrancesco. CCASAPE appreciates the many contributions from Sue. Her service and expertise on the Representative Council will be missed;

C. 73rd Nevada Legislative Session – Stephen outlined specific areas of concern for this legislative session and provided an overview of CCASAPE’s legislative effort during the past several years;

D. Administrative Summary – A historical analysis of administrative growth in the Clark County School District since 1989 was reviewed;

E. Administrator/Teacher Salary Comparison Prior to negotiations beginning with the District, CCASAPE prepares an administrator/teacher salary comparison which compares the hourly and annual salaries of teachers and administrators;

F. Zone Exception Procedures – Principal concerns regarding current region practices related to zone exceptions were discussed. The topic will be included as part of the Administrators’ Advisory Council meeting with Mr. Garcia;

G. Office Copier Replacement – Approval was granted to replace the copier in the CCASAPE office. The copier was purchased in 1999 and is nearing placement on the obsolete list by Nevada Business Machines;

4. Committee Reports:

A. CCAESP – Marilyn Miks, CCAESP President, provided an overview of discussions recently held with Dr. Orci regarding topics of interest to elementary principals;

B. CCASSP – No report was provided as Beth Howe, CCASSP President, was unable to attend the meeting;

C. Legal Committee – Cathy Conger, committee chairperson, reported there was no Legal Committee activity;

5. Executive Director’s Report – Stephen provided a review of the accountant report, the membership report, the various CCASAPE activities, and the types of assistance provided to CCASAPE members.

The following items were discussed during the retreat portion of the meeting:

1. CCASAPE Trust Fund Actuarial Review - The results of the recent trust fund actuarial review were outlined. As a result of the actuarial review, the Representative Council authorized the payouts for unused sick leave and retiree medical to remain unchanged for June 2005 and January 2006;

2. Administrative Reclassification – Membership input regarding the classification system for central office and school based positions was reviewed in detail;

3. CCASAPE / CCSD Negotiations – The proposed topics for negotiations were reviewed with the Representative Council;

4. CCASAPE Legal Expenses and Related Legal Issues – An overview of legal expenses incurred thus far in the 2004-2005 contract year was provided;

5. 2005-2006 CCASAPE Budget Development – Article VII in the CCASAPE Constitution stipulates that the Executive Board is charged with the responsibility for developing the annual budget. Stephen outlined the steps to be taken in developing the budget for next contract year;

6. CCASAPE Office Staff – The Representative Council approved the 2005-2006 salaries for the CCASAPE office staff;

7. Region Leadership / Region Issues / District Issues – Council concerns regarding region and District issues were identified and discussed;

8. Administrators’ Advisory Council Meeting – Agenda items for the February 15, 2005, meeting with Mr. Garcia were identified. Topics included substitute service, Education Services Division procedures, zone exception procedures, structured teacher planning time, new initiatives, and requirements for distributing information in the schools; and

9. CCASAPE and the Future / Staffing and Critical Issues – Discussion centered around the future hiring of an additional full time employee to assist with the many duties and responsibilities required for meeting member needs. No final decisions were made, however, direction was given to develop a new job description for this position.

In preparation for negotiations with the District, the CCASAPE staff has completed a comprehensive analysis of the current contract to identify required language changes and tentative topics for negotiations. This analysis, along with the member input that has been received, was presented to the Representative Council in February. Meetings will soon be scheduled with the CCASAPE Negotiations Committee. Negotiations will not begin with the District until April and will not be concluded until after the Legislature makes final decisions regarding money issues.Articles and topics identified to be addressed in this contract include:

Beginning in the fall of 1996, the CCASAPE Representative Council authorized an actuarial review to project the receipts and expenditures for the Unused Sick Leave and the Retiree Medical accounts within the CCASAPE Welfare Trust. Additional reviews were conducted in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004. Lebenson Actuarial Services and the CCASAPE staff have utilized each review to refine the assumptions regarding administrative growth and investment return. The reviews are used to determine if the fund balances in each of the accounts throughout the 10 year period are increasing commensurately with the administrative growth. The review allows the Representative Council to determine:
a. If the payouts should remain the same.
b. If the payouts can be increased.
c. If the negotiated amounts going into the trust fund should be increased from the $6.65 per month per administrator for the unused sick leave benefit or the $5.80 per month per administrator for the retiree medical benefit.

The most recent review resulted in the CCASAPE Representative Council authorizing the payouts to remain unchanged. However, in the Unused Sick Leave trust account, the projected fund balances over the next 10 years are not projected to increase commensurately with the administrative growth. In 2006 if payouts are to remain unchanged, it is anticipated that the negotiated amounts will need to be increased if we are to maintain a fund balance that parallels the increased liability that will exist due to the administrative growth. The projected fund balances over the next 10 years in the Retiree Medical trust account will be sufficient to meet the anticipated needs of retiring administrators.

The CCASAPE staff and Representative Council will continue to monitor the fund balances to ensure that the payouts will be there for future retirees.

The 73rd Session of the Nevada Legislature opened on Monday, February 7, 2005. Although most of the discussion regarding the session has focused on the issue of taxes, a total of 1303 bill draft requests have been submitted to the Legislative Council Bureau. Of these bill drafts, 162 address issues of concern to CCASAPE members.

CCASA has to date analyzed 25 bills.

The following bills are being tracked by CCASAPE and are summarized for your information:

The full text of these bills can be found at www.leg.state.nv.us within the 2005 session information.

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