craigdailypress.com

The Moffat County School District Board of Education accepted Superintendent Pete Bergmann's retirement and agreed to a pared down, one-year contract for the 2007-08 school year Thursday night.

Following a closed, session, board President JoAnn Baxter announced that Bergmann is retiring and requested a 110 supplemental contract at a decreased salary.

"I'm trading salary for time," Bergmann said.

This year's contract expires June 30, when Bergmann will officially retire. The new contract runs from Aug. 1 to June 25, 2008.

Bergmann will take off the month of July, district-wide holidays and eight additional vacation days. Under the 110 contract, Bergmann cannot work more than 110 days in a calendar year while in retirement.

The new contract pays him $79,000, which is a $16,000 cut from his average salary from his previous three-year contract.

But under the Public Employees Retirement Association program, Bergmann will begin receiving retirement payments while still working for the district.

Bergmann said retirement payments will make up the difference of his reduced salary.

"I entered it as a win-win situation where the district could reduce a central office administrator's contract," he said.

The school district currently faces a financial crisis of being the lowest per pupil funded district in the state and a dwindling savings account.

"It will maybe help the school district ride through this crisis a little bit," Baxter said.

Bergmann said such a reduced-day schedule is likely not a sustainable decrease, however, with the workload of a superintendent.

But for next year, one in which teachers are expected to have larger classes and increased responsibility, Bergmann said it's the least he can do.

"We're asking teachers to bear the brunt of $1 million worth of budget cuts," Bergmann said. "I think it's reasonable to expect the leadership to accept some of that burden."

Bergmann, 53, completes his sixth year as superintendent and 30th year with the school district this summer.

When Bergmann's contract expires in June 2008, he can either stay retired and discontinue work for the district or suspend his retirement with another full-time contract.

"I'm undecided at this time," Bergmann said.

Michelle Perry can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 213, or mperry@craigdailypress.com.