Taxpayer Advocacy Group Breaks Down Grand Forks Superintendent Contract

For Immediate Release – Friday, February 22nd, 2008
Contact: Duane Sand, (701) 223-9887

Taxpayer Advocacy Group Breaks Down Grand Forks Superintendent Contract

Grand Forks, ND – Americans for Prosperity of North Dakota has obtained a copy of the contract between the Grand Forks School District and recently hired Superintendent Dr. Larry P. Nybladh, Ph.D. The following is a breakdown of the contract that Dr. Nybladh has received. This should not be viewed as an attack on him, rather a questioning of the Grand Forks School Board’s judgment and hiring procedures.

“On behalf of the taxpayers of Grand Forks, I would like to congratulate Dr. Nybladh on his contract,” state director Duane Sand said. “However, when the two best paying jobs a person can get in a major city like Grand Forks is K12 School Superintendent and University President, then the priorities of Government are misguided.”

Dr Nybladh can not be blamed for taking this sweetheart deal. The fact that the Grand Forks School Board is paying the chief administrator Four Times the average salary of a teacher in Grand Forks is also questioned. Dr Nybladh now has the distinct title of “highest paid” school superintendent in the state of North Dakota.

Summary of Contract Terms:

Salary: $179,000 for the first year
(to be adjust by the school district in 2nd and 3rd years of contract)
(does not include performance incentives, standard benefits, or moving allowances)

Base Work Year: 260 days (5 days per week)

Paid Holidays: 11 standard holidays plus NDEA (teachers’ union) conferences

Sick Leave: 65 paid days annually (equal to 13 work weeks)

Paid Vacation: 32 days (equal to 6 work weeks)

Breakdown of Contract Terms:

Because all paid sick days and paid vacation days are prescribed as “use them or lose them,” the actual number of days Dr. Nybladh is required to be in the office is 152 days (equal to 30 – 5 day work weeks).

Based on this 152 days (and an 8-hour work day ) of required attendance, and using only the base salary, Dr. Nyblad’s pay can be broken down as follows:

$1177.63 per day or $147.20 per hour

The 1-page contract can be found online at: http://www.americansforprosperity.org/includes/filemanager/files/nd/nybladh_contract.pdf