Manheim Central school board members refused to explain their recent approval of $163,900 in administrative raises to about 50 residents Tuesday.

"I would like to hear from someone that did vote for it," resident Linda Keiffer said. "We had someone who had a change in title and got $22,000 more. I had a change in title, but I didn't get one dollar in raises."

Board members Anne Phillips, Brian Sauder, Dave Gibson and Joseph Jeckel, who voted Dec. 2 for the raises, remained silent.

Board member Nancy Sarley, who declined to vote on the salary increases, told other board members that Keiffer deserved an answer.

Board president Dixie Winters and Kirk Radanovic, who voted for the raises, did not attend the meeting.

Sauder said he would give Keiffer an explanation after the public meeting, but refused comment during the meeting.

Keiffer said, "I think everyone would like to hear the explanation. This is Manheim, not Wall Street."

Resident Ed Moyer said, "To say the recession was not as bad in December, either you are not living on this planet or you are not in tune with what is happening. This district needs a total change right from the top, beginning with (Superintendent Carol Saylor) and a change of the school board. And I think it's coming, and I'm one that will vote for it."

Resident Kim Garner questioned the basis for the salary ranges that were used to justify the administrative raises and said her requests for information from Winters have been ignored.

Sarley, former board president, also questioned the lack of documentation on the raises.

Saylor said the salary ranges were on a one-page spreadsheet, and that was what the administrative increases were based on. No other documentation was available.

Saylor received a pay increase of $20,875, placing her at the very top of the salary range at $155,436.

George Ioannidis, chief financial officer, was rehired by the district with a $20,000 increase and a salary of $125,000, placing him over the maximum salary range.

Justin Wolgemuth, a board member, said, "I think the concept was not a bad one, but the way we got there was not a good one." Wolgemuth, who voted against the increase, said, "Finally, the timing was completely wrong. … The way it was handled was wrong."

At Tuesday's meeting, the board approved the retirement of Lou Martarano as the human resources director as of July 1, with a salary of $101,602.

In December, Martarano received a $3,415 increase as part of the vote on pay for administrators and service staff made retroactive to July 1, 2008.

The board downgraded the salary range for his replacement to $60,000 to $80,000.

Board members Wolgemuth, Holly Holsinger and Sarley wanted the range downgraded even more but lost 4 to 3 in the voting.

Sarley said after the meeting that she had no idea what the administrative salary ranges were based on.

"It was alluded it was a Pennsylvania School Boards Association study," Sarley said. "I'm not satisfied."