The Bowling Green City Schools superintendent is getting two merit payments.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the board of education amended its contract with Superintendent Francis Scruci and ratified an agreement with the teachers’ union.

Superintendent Francis Scruci will get two merit pay payments of 3% each retroactive to August 2020 and August 2021.

At Tuesday’s school board meeting, President Jill Carr read the lengthy contract amendment on the advice of the district’s attorney.

According to his contract, Scruci is to be evaluated by the board each year of his contract between May and July, with a focus on his goals and objectives established for the year, as well as perceived strengths and weaknesses in his performance.

As a result of the evaluation, he could be eligible for lump sum merit pay at an amount to be determined annually by the board.

Evaluations were conducted in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, but no merit pay was given, Carr read.

The board approved a merit pay increase of 3% effective August 2020 and 3% effective August 2021, both determined by his base salary.

According to numbers provided by Treasurer Cathy Schuller after the meeting, Scruci’s salary on Aug, 1, 2020 was $151,657. The merit pay in a lump sum was $4,549.

Merit pay in August 2021 was $4,686.

His salary as of Aug. 1, 2021, when administrator’s contracts began for this year, was $160,893.

Also in the amended contract, effective immediately, upon Scruci’s retirement from the district, the board shall pay him an amount equal to his daily rate of pay, minus any supplemental salary, times one-fourth of accumulated sick leave, with a maximum of 70 days.

If terminated for cause, he will not be eligible for payment, Carr read.

He must have served no less than five years as superintendent to be eligible. The State Teachers Retirement System must verify his retirement.

His death does not negate severance payments, which will go to his estate.

All other provisions remain unchanged, Carr said.

The vote to approve the resolution was 4-1, with Tracy Hovest voting no.

Hovest said that she has a philosophy that contracts should not be reopened to renegotiate the terms.

“It’s perfectly fine, an annual increase, but I don’t believe you should – especially if you’re not extending or hiring somebody – to reopen the contract to renegotiate it,” she said.

There are terms in the contract that don’t relate to pay, Hovest said.

Scruci had gone quite a while without a pay increase since his evaluations, Carr said after the meeting.

The board thought it was time to do that, so members amended the contract to address his merit pay as well as his retirement requirements, she said.

“He has worked very hard and has done a lot of good things for this district,” she said.

Scruci started the job in July 2015, replacing Ann McVey, who retired.

A contract extension, from Aug. 1, 2018 to July 31, 2021, was approved unanimously in February 2017.

His contract was extended again in December 2018, this time through 2023.

Also at the meeting, the board approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Bowling Green Education Association for contract period July 1 through June 30, 2024.

The current contract expires June 30.

The new contract will provide an average salary increase of approximately 3%.

District leaders hope the increase will help attract and retain teachers.

“It is tremendous that our district will now be able to attract and retain quality teachers that will help to continue our collaborative effort with the board and administration to make BG City Schools one of the best districts in Northwest Ohio,” said BGEA President Jeff Nichols in a press release.

Faced with a highly competitive market in the region for teachers, the district has struggled to keep top teachers as they often leave for higher-paying jobs at neighboring districts, according to the release.

“We believe that investing in our teaching staff will help attract and retain quality staff, allowing us to move the district forward,” Scruci said in the release.

The raises also recognizes that teachers have endured one of the most challenging times in history with the pandemic, said a new release.

“Our membership of teachers is very grateful that the board of education recognized our efforts throughout the tumultuous last two years,” Nichols said.

Job satisfaction is at an all-time low and teachers are stretched thin, leading to a record number of them leaving the profession, according to the release.