Open the Books: What Lesson Is Baltimore City Community College Teaching?
Open the Books has discovered a massive pay hike for the president of the Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), and the community is in shock.
Through an open records request to the Maryland State Office of Comptroller, Open the Books uncovered that BCCC President Debra McCurdy has received $1.5 million in cash compensation (wages) since taking on the role May of 2019.
Open the Books notes that, “McCurdy earned $34,000 per month, on average, over her first 44 months of employment. By 2021, her payout was $392,000 and by 2022 it jumped to $593,000.”
This is despite the fact that BCCC graduate counts have fallen to 484 in 2023, from 629 when McCurdy started and the college teacher’s union is push of a no-confidence petition regarding McCurdy’s leadership.
Consider the contract’s cash benefits beyond salary:
- $40,000 in annual housing allowance; plus $10,000 in one-time home closing costs
- $25,000 annual bonus
- $15,600 est. value for lump sum cash-in of up to 10 unused vacation days each year (math: 260 workdays divided by 2023 base salary $405,546 times 10 days)
- $12,000 car allowance
- $10,000 lump sum into a second retirement pension
- reimbursed for reasonable entertainment expenses; provided dues for membership business club and professional organizations; and technology allowance.
And there are more benefits:
- $20,000 est. annual value – the employer cost of McCurdy’s health insurance benefit (math: $70,000 cost from May 2019 through 12/2022).
- $98,300 est. annual value of 63 days of paid time off: 30 vacation days, 3 personal days; up to 10 holidays, 15 sick days, and 5 days over winter break (math: 260 workdays divided by 2023 base salary of $405,000 times 63 PTO days)
- $80,000 est. annual value – the employer payment into McCurdy’s public pension plan (math: estimated at 20-percent of base salary ($405,000 times .20) or an est. value of $300,000 since inception of her employment (math: $1.5 million in wages divided by .20)
All told, if our estimates are correct, then McCurdy’s total taxpayer cost since May 2019 exceeds $2 million.
Open the Books was forced to estimate the totals because BCCC will not provide transparency of McCurdy’s initial contract or a breakdown by type of compensation (Salary, Bonus, Car Allowance, Housing Allowance, etc.) of the $1.5 million paid from students and taxpayers to her between May 2019 and December 31, 2022.
You can review all BCCC payroll since 2017 on our website at OpenTheBooks.com as well as the dream contract of every public employee in history.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO responded Open the Books in a press release:
The Executive Board of AFSCME Local 1870, which represents the bargaining unit employees of Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), is aware of Mr. Andrzejewski’s reporting for Open the Books on the compensation package received by BCCC President Debra McCurdy.
If the reporting holds true, it is a slap in the face to the hardworking, dedicated employees of this institution, who have tirelessly serviced this community despite severe understaffing, arbitrary pay practices that lead to severe earning gaps, and frequent accusatory interrogations related to how staff uses the leave guaranteed by our benefits packages.
During the recent Board of Trustees meeting on 9/20/2023, neither the Board nor Dr. McCurdy offered concrete information or an adequate response to the concerns raised by Mr. Andrzejewski’s reporting. Local 1870 will continue to monitor the situation and advocate for the bargaining union members of BCCC.
Open the Books notes that Dr. Debra McCurdy, BCCC Board Chairman Kurt Schmoke and the BCCC board of trustees have not been accused of wrongdoing.
