School board OKs salary hikes Phillipsburg District's top administrators gain 3.5 percent raises. Tuesday, August 28, 2007 • By ANDREA EILENBERGER • The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | School board members Monday night approved pay raises for three top-level administrators for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years. Each administrator -- Assistant Superintendent Jacqueline Attinello, Business Administrator Bill Poch and Director of Secondary Education George Chando -- will receive a 3.5 percent increase for each of those years. School board President Paul Rummerfield said the total increases are exorbitant, but Superintendent Gordon Pethick thinks they each deserve the raises. He said each one has contributed long hours, including some weekends, to the district. Both Attinello and Poch earned $127,920 for the 2005-06 school year but the increase brings their salaries to $137,031 for 2007-08. Chando earned $114,582 for the 2005-06 school year, and the raise brings his salary to $122,743 for 2007-08. Pethick's salary was not up for a vote Monday night. During previous meetings this summer, the board had agenda items for salary increases for Pethick, Attinello, Poch and Chando. Those items were held and weren't acted on until Monday. Rummerfield, who abstained from the votes, said he felt the increases are too high but his reasoning wasn't based on performance. In June, teachers and board members agreed to a new three-year teachers contract calling for 4.3 percent annual salary raises and no health care contribution. Monday night, some board members abstained from voting on some salary changes and not all board members voted to approve the raises. Reporter Andrea Eilenberger can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at aeilenberger@express-times.com.