District conducts comprehensive salary study during 2008-09

On November 23, Associate Superintendent of HR & Communications Janet Young sent a telephone message to all Clovis Unified employees.

Even as the District moves forward with the identification of close to $17 million in on-going budget reductions, the Governing Board and Administration are committed to the completion of the compensation study process begun last year.  In late August preliminary findings of the study were delivered to the District for review.  These findings were based on data collected from comparative school districts and county offices around California, many of whom have made recent revisions to their salary schedules following the State’s adoption of its 2009-2010 budget.  

In order to ensure that Clovis Unified’s compensation study results accurately reflect current data, the District directed our consultants, Human Resources Management Partners (HRMP), Inc. to re-contact districts that had participated in the initial comparison survey and update data.  While we recognize that this additional step in the process slowed the completion of the compensation study; the importance of using current data to complete an accurate study justified the delay.

Representatives from HRMP will present this updated data and a summary of the study findings to the Governing Board in January 2010.  Following this presentation, the report’s findings will be reviewed with the District’s employee groups.  In January, employees who completed a questionnaire last November will receive a summary of the results that pertain to their individual job description.  Information about how to appeal the compensation study findings will be included with the results summary.

At the time the study began last year, the District had an unallocated budget surplus of $8 million, a portion of which was expected to offset costs related to the study and its findings.  Since that time, the State of California has slashed funding to public education, and the District now faces an on-going budget shortfall of close to $17 million.  However, even in light of this changed situation, the Superintendent and Governing Board remain committed to completing the study in order that possible implementation of the results can become part of the District’s future budget planning. On November 23, Associate Superintendent of HR & Communications Janet Young sent a telephone message to all Clovis Unified employees. To listen to file click here.

June 2009

The following voicemail message was delivered to all employees in the district by phone June 22, 2009. To listen to the message as it was delivered, click here.

An initial draft of the study findings will be reviewed during summer 2009, with the final report and its findings presented to the Governing Board in early fall of 2009.

Spring 2009

During the months of March through May the District has worked with HR Management Partners (HRMP), Inc. to conduct a comprehensive survey of the salary and compensation structure of 20 comparable districts and institutions.  Because of the breadth and depth of information needed by Clovis Unified to allow us to conduct a thorough and accurate study, several delays occurred in obtaining this data from the surveyed institutions. As of early May, the District and HRMP have completed the data collection phase of this study. 

To allow sufficient time to evaluate the results of this data collection, review the initial findings from the study, and discuss the District's proposed response with the Governing Board and our employee groups, it is anticipated that the findings will be presented to the Governing Board for adoption at a meeting in the fall of 2009.

Given the significant deterioration of California's economy since the start of this study, the District will act carefully to create an implementation plan based on study findings that ensures the long-term financial stability of Clovis Unified.  It is quite likely that study findings will be implemented over multiple years. 

Update December 2008

Consultants with HR Management Partners, Inc. will be back in the District on January 12 and 13, 2009, to conduct focus group interviews with a number of employees representing a variety of positions within the District. These interviews will be scheduled by members of the District's Human Resources Office in collaboration with HRMP representatives.

The following information seeks to answer some of the frequently asked questions about these types of salary studies. This web page will be periodically updated throughout the study with additional information for employees interested in following the progress of the study. Questions about the study or the Position Description Questionnaire should be sent to support@HRMP.net using "Clovis" in the subject line.

Update October 21, 2008

All employees are invited to complete a Position Description Questionnaire to assist in the evaluation of positions, and to evaluate the appropriate classification and salary level. Unlike reclassification studies completed in the past, in this study all employees are strongly encouraged to complete the Position Description Questionnaire in order to assist HRMP in assessing whether current job descriptions accurately reflect current employee responsibilities. HRMP will be conducting focus groups and individual interviews with employees this winter in order to clarify information that is submitted through the Position Description Questionnaire. Groups of employees that hold the same position have the option of completing the Position Description Questionnaire as a group. Please make sure to attend one of the orientation meetings for additional information.

The Position Description Questionnaire will be reviewed and explained at the orientation meetings which will be held at each area high school and at the District Office. All of the meetings will cover the same material so you may attend which ever meeting is most convenient for your schedule at any of the locations listed.

All Position Description Questionnaires must be turned in to the appropriate Supervisor-Manager by November 5, 2008. Supervisors-Managers must review and return the questionnaires to the Human Resources Department by 5 p.m. on November 12, 2008.

It is suggested that employees attending an orientation meeting bring a copy of the Position Description Questionnaire to the orientation. Copies of the document may be downloaded here: PDF or Electronic Form.

For employee reference, here is a copy of the Action Verb Glossary referred to in the Position Description Questionnaire.

Q. What will this salary study include?

A.  The study will include a market analysis of each employee group to evaluate if Clovis Unified’s salary structure is competitive and reasonable based on the total compensation package offered by public employers in California for similar work.  CUSD’s total compensation package includes salary and any applicable health and welfare benefits.

To complete this study, representatives from HR Management Partners Inc. (HRMP) will invite classified employees to participe in a job duty survey, review each of the District’s existing job descriptions; and complete a comprehensive market analysis to compare CUSD’s compensation package with similar organizations.  The company will also consult with a 12-person committee of representatives from every employee group in the event that questions or clarifications need to be made in their research.  If necessary, HRMP will also interview individual employees to complete the study.

Q.  What will not be included in this salary study?

A.  The study is not a personal performance evaluation.  In the course of the study, representatives from HR Management Partners Inc. may individually review a specific position in the District, however, the study is in no way an evaluation of any individual employee’s job performance. Additionally, the study will not be used to evaluate individual employee work loads, or how efficiently one employee completes his/her job compared to another.  The study team is interested in determining the overall appropriateness of Clovis Unified’s salary and compensation package for all employees, and will not focus on any one employee’s personal performance on the job.

Q.  When was the last time that CUSD completed this type of salary study?

A.  The last time CUSD conducted this type of comprehensive salary study was more than a decade ago in 1996-97.  Current salary schedules used in Clovis Unified are based on this 1996-97 study.

Q.  Is this a reclassification study like that which was completed in 2006?

A.  No.  In 2006 the District conducted a reclassification study which allowed classified employees who believed that the scope of their job had changed significantly to apply for an evaluation and possible reclassification to a different salary grade.  The study now underway will look at every salary schedule and every job description that exists in the District to determine if the position is appropriately compensated based on the necessary skills, qualifications, education and duties required of the position. 

Q.  What parts of CUSD’s salary and benefits package will be used in the study?

A.  The study will look at all elements of Clovis Unified’s compensation package. This includes the base salary schedule, plus any applicable health and welfare benefits which may include health, dental and vision coverage, life insurance and the provision of lifetime benefits.

Q.  What is the next step following the Board’s Oct. 8 action?

A.  Before choosing HR Management Partners Inc to conduct the study an advisory committee, made up of 12 individuals representing all CUSD employee groups, then screened proposals, interviewed representatives of four different firms, researched the references of three firms, and finally made the recommendation to the Board to enter into an agreement with HR Management Partners Inc.  Now that the Board has approved the selection of HR Management Partners Inc., the firm will spend the next several months surveying and interviewing employees, reviewing all certificated, classified and management job descriptions; and conducting a comparative analysis of CUSD’s salary and compensation structure.  By spring 2009, it is anticipated that HR Management Inc will complete the study, and findings from the study will be presented to the Governing Board for review.

Q.  How will the Governing Board implement recommendations from the salary study?

A. In light of the continued economic uncertainty in California and in the nation, the Governing Board will formulate an implementation plan that is both fair and fiscally responsible.  The Board is committed to ensuring that Clovis Unified is competitively positioned in the labor market, and to that end, intends to implement the carefully consider how best to implement the findings of this study.  In the event that the salary study findings result in a significant financial impact on Clovis Unified, the Board will likely choose to implement the recommendations over the course of multiple years.