School board gives super a raise, extends his contract

By: 
Nathan Oster

The Big Horn County School District No. 3 board of trustees has given its superintendent a raise and extended his contract by a year, through the end of the 2026-27 school term.

The board approved the adjustment and contract extension for Mark Fritz when it emerged from an executive session at the end of its Jan. 14 meeting.

As the part of its motion, the board bumped Fritz’s salary to $138,600.  His salary for this year was set at $126,000, making it a 9% increase.  A year ago, it was $117,500.

A study of the salaries of superintendents around the state that was included in the packet showed Fritz, at $126,000, being among the lowest paid school chiefs in Wyoming. Only six make less and all of them lead 1A-level schools.

Even at $138,600, Fritz will make only slightly more than Basin’s superintendent of schools, Jory Thomson, who is at $135,000, and still be under Burlington/Rocky school superintendent Matt Davidson, at $142,000, and Lovell school superintendent Doug Hazen, at $156,000.

The superintendent who makes the most is Gillian Chapman, who earns $277,000 to lead Jackson Hole schools.  At the bottom of the pay scale is Annie Griffin, who earns $110,000 at Ten Sleep.

Other news

In other Jan. 14 news:

• In personnel moves, the district accepted the resignations of custodian Darla Thorne after 16 years on the job as well as Shawntelle Bennett as a paraprofessional at the elementary school.

The board then approved the hiring of Bennett to fill Thorne’s post and Bailey Hill to replace Bennett at GES.  

The hiring of Nathan Hetzel as a fourth high school wrestling coach was also approved.

• The board entered into an agreement with Ted and Sandi Menke and Kavin and Melanie Stockert for the continued use by buses transporting students of a privately-owned segment of Spur Road.

• The board proceeded with plans to build a fence around a small piece of property north of the administration building that it recently purchased.  SWI landed the contracted, submitting a low estimate of $43,495.

The board also awarded the contract for bus barn concrete repair to Hunt Construction, which provided an estimate of $42,306.

• The board recognized a pair of recent donations.

Christine McMillan donated $100 to the school lunch program.

Tom Harrington donated to $500 to the wrestling activity account.

• The board approved the donation of three days of discretionary leave days from two classified staff members to a certified staff member.

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