Gillingham Charter School, Pottsville, is seeking a new full-time director of organizational development and applicants for a new position, part-time dean of students.
At the June meeting of the school's board of trustees Thursday, Nicolle M. Hutchinson, Gillingham's CEO and director of education, announced Christie L. Werkheiser, the school's director of organizational development, has resigned.
"It is with a heavy heart that I announce that Gillingham Director of Organizational Development Christie Werkheiser has resigned her post due to an opportunity which required her family to relocate. Her husband, Rick, has taken a new position in Montgomery County, which I understand is a tremendous advancement in his career path," Hutchinson said.
Rick Werkheiser is a member of the Gillingham Charter School Board of Trustees and was elected to another two-year term Thursday.
Christie Werkheiser's last day of work was Wednesday, Hutchinson said. Christie and her husband, who lived in Pottsville, were not at Thursday's meeting.
One of Gillingham's founders, Christie Werkheiser served as treasurer of the Gillingham Charter School Collaborative in June 2011 when the State Charter School Appeal Board gave the group of educators and parents permission to form the first charter school in Schuylkill County. On July 26, 2011, Gillingham's first school board named her the school's director of organizational development.
"Christie has been with us since our collaborative days and has been a very valuable member of our team, and we wish her and her family the best as they embark upon their next journey," Hutchinson said.
In the 2013-14 school year, Werkheiser continued to hold that position and her salary was $69,010, according to information provided by Charter Choices, Glennside, Montgomery County, the organization which serves as Gillingham's treasurer.
In August 2012, Gillingham hired Dustin Caruso as the special education coordinator and dean of students at a salary for the 2012-13 school year of $50,000. His salary for the 2013-14 school year was $51,500, according to Hutchinson.
At the end of the 2013-14 school year, the position of special education coordinator/dean of students was discontinued, Hutchinson said.
"We don't have this position anymore. It's no longer a position at our school. We're going to have a part-time dean. As far as the special education coordinator position, we're giving those duties to one of our special education teachers, who is now being promoted as our special education lead teacher," Hutchinson said.
Also at the meeting, the board approved Gillingham's 2014-15 budget, a $2,678,365 spending plan.
"The school will average approximately 200 students for the 2013-2014 school year and has budgeted for 216 for the 2014-2015 school year," Michael A. Whisman, a certified public accountant for Charter Choices, said in an email Wednesday.
However, Hutchinson said Thursday the school may have up to 266 students.
"We have 197 students returning and 69 new students. So we're expecting 266 total," Hutchinson said.
Gillingham will also have its first senior class in the 2014-15 school year.
"So far, we expect to have eight seniors," Hutchinson said.
The school's current administrators, their salaries for 2013-14 and their salaries for 2014-15 are as follows:
- Nicolle M. Hutchinson, CEO and director of education - $80,340; $82,750.20
- Tara Cromis, administration support -- $33,887; $34,903.61
- Sherida Helsley, administration support -- $20,192.12; $20,797.88
- Dawn Housel, administration support -- $33,887; $34,903.61
- Andra Smith, curriculum coordinator -- $18,000; $18,540
Charter Choice was retained as Gillingham's treasurer at a rate of $60,000 for the 2014-15 school year, the same rate it charged in the 2013-14 school year.
"Gillingham contracts business services with Charter Choices. These fees replace the typical business manager employee costs paid by most districts - including salary/Public School Employees Retirement System costs/benefits - resulting in an overall savings to the charter school. The fee since inception has been $60,000 per school year," Whisman said.
The members of the board include: Marsha Chwastiak, president; Sharon Klinger, vice president; Lori Quinn, treasurer; Lisa Haltemann, secretary; and board members Annette Stoudt, Dan Kurtz, Mindy Heppe, Sherrilyn Chiu and Rick Werkheiser.
At Thursday's meeting, the board reappointed Chwastiak, Haltemann, Stoudt and Heppe to one-year terms and reappointed Klinger, Quinn and Rick Werkheiser to two-year terms. Kurtz and Chiu - who were absent from Thursday's meeting - are in the middle of two-year terms, Hutchinson said.