Kalispell Public Schools administrators had their contracts renewed with 1.5 percent salary increases Tuesday.

The administration includes principals and assistant principals, directors of special services, business services, activities and information technology, and the assistant superintendent. The renewal included a $525 health benefit contribution.

Superintendent Darlene Schottle’s contract also was renewed with a 1.5 percent increase to the base salary equaling $120,685 for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

Although administrators are not part of a bargaining unit, the raise was in line with other union contract agreements.

Trustees also approved a two-year contract through June 2015 for maintenance engineers, who are part of a bargaining unit, with the same salary increase of 1.5 percent.

Before trustees renewed contracts at Tuesday’s board meeting, Glacier High School Assistant Principal Micah Hill spoke to the board on behalf of the administrators.

“First and foremost, we’re grateful for our positions. We love our jobs,” Hill said before advocating for an administrative salary schedule similar to teachers’ automatic raises that recognize years of experience and education.

Hill noted that other Class AA districts such as Great Falls, Helena and Bozeman have salary schedules in place for administrators. Creating an administrative salary schedule has been discussed for the past two years, Schottle said, and she hoped it would conclude with a decision this year. Trustee Anna Marie Bailey said a personnel committee had recently talked about a salary schedule and was in favor of it.

Hill also reminded trustees they had made a commitment to keep salaries comparable to other AA school districts. Hill said Kalispell Public Schools continues to rank at the bottom in salary compensation compared to other AA districts.

Last year, administrators received a 1.5 percent increase. In 2009 and 2010 administrators took a pay freeze.

“We know the impact budgets have on our buildings, staffing, supplies and students, but in doing so we also knew this would have a negative impact on our career, and lifetime earnings, our retirement benefits and our families,” Hill said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].