A trustee with the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board is looking for more information on the salaries of the director of education and HPEDSB superintendents
At this week’s Physical Planning, Finance, and Building Committee (Monday), Prince Edward County Trustee Rachel Prinzen and Director of Education Katherine MacIver had a tense back and forth in regards to executive compensation.
Director Katherine MacIver will make about $269,000 in 2025-26, while the superintendents will come in around $194,000.
That is of course if the board of trustees approves the budget on June 23.
The committee voted 4-1 in favour of the budget recommendation, with Prinzen being the lone vote against.
In the meeting, she expressed concern about executive compensation.
Audio Player“When I look at the budget and I see where there’s increases, 8.46% under administration, but we’re going down under instruction (0.44%), it worries me that we’re decreasing in areas that the public has specifically asked for us to increase and we’re increasing in specific areas they’ve asked us to decrease.
Executive compensation varies for each of the 72 Ontario school boards, however, they must follow a document called the Compensation Framework Regulation
Meanwhile, the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board created a document in 2018 called Executive Compensation for HPEDSB.
It is not just school boards that must follow guidelines, it is post-secondary institutions, hospital boards and more. You can get a link to the Broader Public Sector Executive Compensation Act by CLICKING HERE.
There are five core factors and two non-core factors in the document.
In 2018, trustees approved moving the board from level 3 to level 4.
MORE BELOW
FIVE CORE FACTORS
Where does HPEDSB sit in each category for 2025-26 (if budget approved)?
Budget of $260 million is on the low end of level 4
Number of schools is 38, on the low end of level 3
Project enrolment is 15,085, in the middle of level 3
Number of full time equivalent teachers is 900, in the middle of level 3
Number of superintendents is 5, the low end of level 3
MORE BELOW
TWO NON-CORE FACTORS
The two non-core factors are shownabove and the Executive Compensation Program from 2018 indicates HPEDSB deals with a large riding, many municipalities, First Nations and multiple community partnerships.
Now what about the financial compensation and where it sits on the various levels?
The director of education salary is approximately $269,000 or the higher end of level 5.
Executives (superintendents) are at approximately $194,000 or the max at level 5.
This document was created in 2018 and it is now 2025, so buying power has changed.
An inflation calculator from the Bank of Canad was used to see what the dollar value of today is versus 2018.
The middle of level 3 from 2018 was used, which is about $214,000 for the director of education.
In today’s dollars that is about $262,000.
Director MacIver was asked if the Executive Compensation Program for HPEDSB is a legally binding document.
Audio Player“It’s not. This document was in place in 2018 for that purpose. I don’t believe you can use a 2018 document and try to use that framework, that was different legislation, and impose it in 2025 without updating this table.”
From Monday, here are the transcribed questions by Trustee Rachel Prinzen to Director Katherine MacIver.
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TRUSTEE RACHEL PRINZEN: When I look at these numbers and I think about what our framework says, are we under level 3, ’cause that exceeds level 3? I’m trying to understand how this is compliant.
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION KATHERINE MACIVER: I think trustees are really well aware of any items with regards to executive compensation. However, I would suggest we move into closed session if we want to discuss this further. Is there a motion to do so?
TRUSTEE PRINZEN: The framework is a public document, so I’m referring to the public document. Should the document not specify where we are on the framework?
DIRECTOR MACIVER: Again (referring to her previous comment).
COMMITTEE CHAIR ERICA CHARLTON: Are you making a motion to move into closed session?
TRUSTEE PRINZEN: I still don’t see how we meet the criteria for closed session. If it’s a public document and it’s information that we’ve already received, how is this meeting the criteria for closed session?
DIRECTOR MACIVER: For full discussion, we would need to be in closed session, so as not to breach confidentiality from prior sessions. We can discuss it there and trustees could determine whether or not it’s a closed matter.
CHAIR CHARLTON: Are you making a motion Trustee Prinzen?
TRUSTEE PRINZEN: I personally don’t think we need to go into closed, but I’ll motion for us to go into closed to discuss this, if the director feels we need to.
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The motion to discuss compensation in closed session was defeated.
TRUSTEE PRINZEN: Can you clarify if we are in level 3 for our framework? Which is again a public document, not going into detail about past discussions?
DIRECTOR MACIVER: At this time I cannot.
TRUSTEE PRINZEN:
Audio Player“We are listed as the employer and it says that we are responsible to ensure that we’re within our framework. If I can’t get a guarantee that we’re within our framework, I can’t approve a budget that exceeds executive compensations.”
The budget recommendation was approved.
The other two local boards in the Quinte region are the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and the Algonquin Lakeshore District School Board.
The link for executive compensation for KPRDSB is available by CLICKING HERE.
The hyperlink for executive compensation for ALCDSB was not active (as of June 18 at 11 p.m.).
Quinte News reached out to both Prinzen and MacIver for comment.
Prinzen indicated it is board policy for only the chair to speak with media and she was unable to comment.
Director MacIver’s full interview from Wednesday June 18 is below.
Audio Player