Schools

Two Riverhead Administrators Would See Salaries Cut Under Gov. Proposal

Gov. Cuomo's salary cap on school superintendents would limit RCSD supes to $165,000.

Under a proposal from Gov. Andrew Cuomo to limit school superintendent salaries, Riverhead superintendents could be among those in line to see a salary cut if the proposal passes in Albany. 

Cuomo predicts his proposal will save the state $15 million as he attempts to close a  reported $10 billion budget shortfall. According to his office, one-third of the state's superintendents make over $175,000.

"We must wake up to the new economic reality that government must be more efficient and cut the cost of the bureaucracy," Gov. Cuomo said. "Reducing back-office overhead, administration, consultants, and encouraging consolidations are the best targets to find savings." 

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The capped superintendent salaries, cut into six tiers based on student enrollment, would max out Riverhead Central School District administrators at $165,000. 

The caps could only be instituted after current contracts expire, though individual school districts could overturn the salary caps during budget votes.

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Currently, two RCSD administrators make in excess of $165,000.

Tier Enrollment Salary Cap 1 0-250 $125,000 2 251-750 $135,000 3 751-1,500 $145,000 4 1,501-3,000 $155,000

5

3,001-6,500 $165,000 6 6,501+ $175,000

According to contracts with the Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Nancy Carney is due to earn $212,500 during the 2010-2011 school year (contract expires in 2013), while Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Community Services, Joseph Ogeka, is due $173,041 (contract expires in 2011).

The Board of Education will be meeting on Tuesday night, and is expected to vote to extend Carney's current contract by one year. According to the superintendent's contract, the school board has until March 15 of each year to extend Carney's contract by one year.

Interim Superintendent of Finance and Operations, Joseph Singleton, is paid on a per diem basis at $800 daily, though his predacessor was set to earn $175,000 this year, accoding to state data.

"School districts need strong leaders, now more than ever, who can make changes and good decisions based on the situation at hand," Carney said in an e-mail. "I will continue to do my job, just as the Governor is doing his. My main focus at this time is to prepare a fiscally responsible budget that addresses the academic needs of our students."

Jim McKenna, vice president of the Board of Directors for Suffolk County School Superintendents Association, called the governor's proposal "glitzy" on more than one occasion. McKenna, superintendent of Mattituck-Cutchogue School District, a smaller school edistrict than RCSD, would stand to be cut to $155,000, from its current total just over $170,000, according to state data. 

"That's a glitzy, headline-grabbing topic he put out there," McKenna said. "Until we address all of the issues on the table, I think it's extremely unfair to say that superintendents make way too much money when you look in comparison of teachers."

McKenna said that administrators sometimes work up to 225 days a year - current contracts with Riverhead administrators pay them for 222 days of work - and as a result, their salaries should be viewed in such context.

He also added that administrator salaries, just like teacher salaries, are market-driven, and as such if one district wants to draw more qualified superintendents, the more the district will have to pay. However he said was not averse to the idea of capping superintendent salaries.

"We'll take a cut," McKenna said. "That's not a problem. But make it fair."

The governor is also going after superintendent benefits. In addition to scaling back the number of unused sick days superintendents would be able to cash out at the end of their tenures, the amount school districts pay into superintendents' health benefits would be subtracted from their annual salary under his proposal. 

But according to Assemblyman Dan Losquadro, R-Shoreham, the measure simply isn't specific enough, offering school districts the ability to compensate superintendents through extended benefits such as cars, housing, and other options. Instead of salary caps, Losquadro would prefer to see a total compensation cap. Also, he said he would like to see a cost of living adjustment included in the bill. He said he wouldn't vote for the legislation in its current form.

"One of the problems with state mandates is that they're applied across the state, across the board," Losquadro said. "We have to learn from our mistakes of the past. I see this type of proposal as having the opportunity to make more mistakes. But this discussion is far from over. We just need to decide very carefully how to implement this."

State Sen. Ken LaValle, R-Port Jefferson, stated on Tuesday morning that he would vote for the bill in its current form. 

* Salary data is from school contracts and the NYS Education Department's Administrative Compensation Information for 2010-2011


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