The Pleasant Valley school board recently lowered a courier's pay to fix what they called a significant error that led to a large pay increase.

The board recently passed a resolution correcting a "mutual mistake" in the salary scale for the position of courier. Page 37 of the collective bargaining agreement listed what amounted to the doubling of the hourly rate for a courier. The highest rate for a courier went from $11.28 per hour to $24.29 per hour.The resolution states that it is believed by the school district that there was a significant error in the rate of pay for the position of courier. The resolution further states that when the board requested that the mistake be corrected, the association notified the district that it would not make the requested correction.The Collective Bargaining Agreement was ratified in February and went into effect on July 1, 2015. According to John Burrus, director of human resources, the mistake came to the district's attention in October. The only courier employed by the district is John McCutchen. His wife, Lorraine McCutchen was the president of the association at the time the new bargaining agreement was negotiated.The Times News approached Burrus in December with questions about this issue and was advised that the matter was under investigation and there was no comment at the time.Since then,Lorraine McCutchen has since resigned her position with the association. John McCutchen remains employed with the district.According to the resolution effective Feb. 12, McCutchen's hourly rate will be revised from $15.44 per hour to $9.49.Burrus says that he is not aware of the association or the McCutchens taking any action against the district for the revision, but that there are provisions in the collective bargaining agreement for such action.Assistant principalThe high school Dean of Students Dave Pacchioni was promoted to assistant principal at the high school effective Jan. 20. Pacchioni will earn $70,000 per year, which is the starting salary for assistant principals in the district."We previously had two assistant principals and an associate principal at the high school but we have only had one assistant principal for a while now," Burrus said."For what he does it makes more sense for him to be an assistant principal.""We are so happy to have Mr. Pacchioni continue the great work he has done for the high school," said Principal John Gress. "I want to thank the board for taking this action."