Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette James Rautiola, who the Copper Country Intermediate School District Board voted to hire as the district’s next superintendent earlier this month, listens during a committee meeting prior to the regular board meeting Tuesday.

HANCOCK — The Copper Country Intermediate School District Board of Education unanimously approved a contract offer to its new superintendent hire at Tuesday’s meeting.

Earlier this month, the board voted 4-3 to hire Stanton Township Schools Superintendent James Rautiola to replace George Stockero, who retires at the end of the month. The board approved an offer Tuesday with an initial cap at $115,000 to $120,000.

Rautiola met with the board as a committee of the whole prior to the regular board meeting to ask the amount be raised closer to $130,000.

Rautiola said he understood the need for a superintendent to bring value to the district, and said he was factoring in his personal situation and his family.

“I wanted you to have the information of where I was coming from, the value that I plan to bring, and roughly what the board has done in the past,” he said.

Stockero was hired at $113,500 in 2015, about $4,000 less than outgoing Superintendent Dennis Harbour had made the previous year, according to a database of state salaries compiled by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. The board then raised Stockero’s salary each year, reaching more than $137,000 for 2020, according to the database.

Board members said the original offer gives more room for flexibility later on.

“We felt that as a starting point, that was very reasonable,” CCISD Board Treasurer Nels Christopherson said during the committee meeting. “It was in line with the numbers that we were aware of, and we felt that if in a year, if things really looked good, we could change that.”

In addition to performance evaluations, compensation could also go up in relation to other factors, such as not needing insurance through the district, said Secretary Dale Kero.

“Most of the time the only chance to negotiate is for a starting salary, but history has a way of repeating itself,” Kero said, noting the increases the board had given Stockero for excellent performance. “It can go up in a short period of time.”

There was no public comment at either the committee meeting or regular meeting.

In other action, the board:

– Set a date for the 2021-22 budget hearing for 5:30 p.m. June 15. Stockero also clarified an issue with the budget after members of the Houghton-Portage Township Schools board had expressed reservations about voting the approve the budget, noting the gulf in size between the 2020-2021 and 2021-22 budgets. The CCISD served as the pass-through agency for a $24 million MI Connect grant, which was used to improve internet connectivity and purchase internet-capable devices. The money was distributed to local districts throughout the CCISD.

– Hired teacher Jordan Jarvi and instructional classroom/bus aides Staci Beauchamp, Jason Laplander, Alison Ruonavaara and Mimi Burke for the summer program for Program for Students with Severe Disabilities (PSSD).

– Hired James Oger as CTE Foundations instructor.

– Hired Cynthia Harwood as instructional/bus aide.

– Accepted the retirement resignation of instructional aide Glenna Brinkman.

– Accepted the retirement resignation of bus driver Joseph Dorvinen.

– Accepted the resignation of instructional/bus aides Meghan Peterson and Emily Heinonen.

– Appointed Heather Tikkanen to a three-year term on the Copper Country Intermediate School District Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) for Special Education, representing L’Anse Area Schools.

– Approved having staff available as funds allow to conduct evaluations and training during the summer. School psychologists, school social workers, speech therapists and behavior consultants could be included. They would be restricted to a maximum of 10 days.

– Hired special education staff to provide extended school year services to students as needed from June through August, with work schedules and types of service based on student individual Education Plans.