Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - As districts everywhere slash people and programs to make ends meet, the Governor says New Yorkers should take a close look at the pay of top administrators.
In his budget message, Andrew Cuomo turned the issue into a punch line, “The highest paid school superintendent makes $386,000. I applied for that job. I failed. I ran for governor.”
Cuomo says more than 40 percent of superintendents make more than $200,000 in salary and benefits.
He compared that to his own base salary of $179,000 and urged taxpayers to take a closer look at the earnings of top school officials.
The numbers detailing the salaries of most superintendents are available from the New York State Teachers Retirement System and are publicly available on the website
SeeThroughNY.com.
The most recent data available is for the school year ending in 2010. In Onondaga County, Tully’s superintendent makes the least, $133,000, while the Syracuse City School District’s superintendent makes the most at $217,000.
Excluding SCSD Superintendent Dan Lowengard, salaries in Onondaga County range between $133,000 and $194,000, depending on the size of the district.
“Why they get paid more than the governor of the state, I really don't understand,” Cuomo said.
West Genesee Superintendent Chris Brown doesn’t understand why Cuomo chose to pick out superintendents. Brown, who earns $175,000 a year, is paid a little less than the governor.
“This is a 24-hour job. And it's something that I chose to do for a profession. And it does have a certain salary range that goes along with it, based on the district that you're in, the number of students that you serve, and all of that,” Brown said.
Lowengard began his career in public education 40 years ago and his salary was $7,500. Now, making more than $200,000, he oversees 21,000 students and 4,000 employees in 32 buildings.
He took exception to Cuomo’s insinuation that superintendents make too much money.
“This one was short of a cheap shot. Or, it just doesn't fix anything - it really doesn't - because it's such a small part of what the districts pay,” Lowengard said. “Most districts maybe spend $16 or $17,000 per kid. The superintendent's salary is probably $8 out of the $16,000.”
The Governor believes Lowengard is missing the point.
“If it's about the students, then let's find savings within the bureaucracy,” Cuomo said.
Lowengard believes that if the state seeks savings,
it could find them in consolidation.
“The other issue that really should be addressed is: should we have 700 districts? I don't think the people individually are overpaid,” the Superintendent said.
Although he ruffled some feathers, a spokesperson for the Governor, David Doyle, said that Cuomo will continue to push the issue. Last week, the Governor applauded Bethlehem School District administrators for accepting a pay freeze. A few days later, he praised the West Genesee School District for accepting Brown’s proposed pay freeze
