P'burg plays fair Responding to complaints of gender bias, board hikes salaries, creates six new positions. Tuesday, October 23, 2007 • By ANDREA EILENBERGER • The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | The Phillipsburg School District has created six new coaching positions to help address alleged inequities between male and female student athletes. School board members Monday night approved changes that increase some coaches' salaries "to align positions that violated Title IX issues," according to a summary provided during the board meeting. The summary provided the combined overall salary increase but did not detail the increases for individual coaching positions. A school district investigation earlier this year found female student athletes felt they were second-rate next to male student athletes, among other concerns within high school sports. The review was a response to a 32-count discrimination complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education. The school's investigation, conducted by law firm Stier Anderson, cited a lack of fundraising oversight regarding the football team's booster club and a general lack of publicity with respect to girls sports teams. School officials said Monday they are still waiting to hear from the federal agency but are working to level the playing field in regards to coaches' salaries in dual sports and across the board. "We're being proactive," said Kevin DeGerolamo, board member and chairman of the board's Negotiating Committee. Even with the raises, DeGerolamo said Phillipsburg's coaches' salaries lag behind other districts. The changes bring total coaches' salaries from $324,197 for the 2005-06 school year to $424,484 for the 2008-09 school year. That includes an increase from $356,302 in 2006-07 to $397,867 in 2007-08. It includes the added positions of one girls track coach, one girls swimming coach and one middle school field hockey coach. It alters the payment system for winter cheerleading coaches -- one head and two assistant coaches -- so they are paid for both fall and winter seasons rather than for just one season. Those additions tack on $20,134 to the total coaches' salaries for 2007-08. The changes also include a new payment structure based on experience for 2007 through 2009. Reporter Andrea Eilenberger can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at aeilenberger@express-times.com.