Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, November 11, 2010

New superintendent of Ann Arbor schools will be one of the highest paid superintendents in the region - AnnArbor.com

New superintendent of Ann Arbor schools will be one of the highest paid superintendents in the region - AnnArbor.com

WITH POLL: New superintendent of Ann Arbor schools will be one of the highest paid superintendents in the region

Ann Arbor's next school superintendent will be among the highest paid school officials in Southeast Michigan.

He or she will likely earn in the range of $245,000 — a $65,000 boost in pay from what recently departed superintendent Todd Roberts made annually.

But Ann Arbor school board members say that's the pay level needed to attract a suitable candidate in their national search for the next head of the 16,500-student district.

The anticipated salary is in the middle of a range of cities with other large research universities. But it's far higher than many local districts.

The closest local district to Ann Arbor's advertised salary is Plymouth-Canton schools, where superintendent Craig Fiegel is paid about $231,000 this year, according to the district’s budget data. Other districts where superintendent base salaries crack the $200,000 threshold areFarmington and Walled Lake, where Susan Survalec and William Hamilton are paid about $207,000 and $206,000 respectively.

Rochester Superintendent David Pruneau is earning about $190,000 this year. In Dearborn, Superintendent Brian Whiston makes about $175,000 this year, which is about $25,000 more than Livonia Superintendent Randy Liepa.

Ann Arbor school board President Deb Mexicotte said the district is truly doing a nationa