School chiefs' salaries not tied to district size

It stands to reason that the chief of New Jersey's largest and arguably most complex school system would draw the highest pay, as retired Newark superintendent Marion Bolden did in her final year, with a $260,000 salary plus perks.

Other large districts like Elizabeth, Toms River, Paterson and Jersey City follow suit, with their leaders all in the upper echelons making more than $220,000 last year, according to new state data on the salaries and other compensation of more than 3,600 administrators.

But reflecting what has increasingly become a free-agent market for top administrators, enrollment is apparently just one factor in determining how top administrators are paid statewide.

For instance, among more than two dozen North Jersey districts where superintendents drew more than $200,000 last year, nearly half serve districts of fewer than 4,000 students -- a tenth of Newark's size.

Conversely, two of the state's largest school systems -- Edison and Woodbridge -- have superintendents at relatively bargain rates of less than $170,000 a year.

The Corzine administration published the new data, in part, to create a more transparent system and begin reining in high administrative costs. But the wide range of salaries and perks -- not to mention the large number of districts -- makes clear how difficult that job may be.

State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy imposed new rules this summer that allow the state to review and reject administrative contracts it finds "excessive," especially around retirement benefits.

The state's superintendents association responded last week with a federal lawsuit against Davy seeking to block the rules, claiming they are arbitrary and unconstitutional.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) joined the fray on Friday, saying he'd back Davy with his own filing on her behalf. "These regulations are common-sense safeguards to ensure money meant for education is indeed spent on education," Roberts said.

But it's not so simple to determine what is reasonable for any given district.

For example, Parsippany superintendent Lee Seitz -- overseeing Morris County's largest district -- is paid less than counterparts in two much smaller districts in the county. But that's more a product of local factors and personal preferences, said Parsippany board president Anthony Mancuso.

Seitz was hired two years ago, when questions about perks and other benefits were first being raised statewide. "Lee said he wasn't interested in all those perks, just a basic, reasonable contract," Mancuso said.

"We didn't base his contract on what other towns were doing, but what we had been doing with the previous superintendent," he said.

Other districts cope with administrative costs differently. As a way to save money, the Green Township school district in Sussex County started last year sharing a superintendent with neighboring Allamuchy in Warren County.

"It's worked out very, very well for us," said Green school board president William Ippolito, adding that the new superintendent splits his time equally between districts. "He's not punching a clock, but leadership isn't necessarily measured by hours."

Robert Aloia, who's also doing double duty running both Bergen County's vocational schools and its special education district, was a bit indignant in defending his high pay. Aloia was among the state's highest paid at $231,000, in addition to an estimated $80,000 in other allowances.

"The board knows what it's paying, and they are happy with what's been happening here," said Aloia. "We can pay football coaches $2 million and not a fair amount for the people who are responsible for educating our children?"