School chiefs see pay surge

At a time of increasing emphasis and scrutiny on student performance and MCAS test scores, school districts south of Boston appear to be more willing to pay top dollar for superintendents.

Of the 47 public school systems in this area, 13 are paying their superintendents more than $150,000 this school year -- a dramatic jump in the number compensated at that level from 2003-04 , when only two school chiefs cleared the threshold, according to data collected by the Globe.

The average total compensation for 2006-07 is $141,000, with every full-time superintendent in the area earning more than $100,000 . That sum includes perks such as annuities and travel money, which add about $7,000 to the base salary. Eleven area superintendents receive more than $10,000 a year in perks.

The compensation packages in this area are generally smaller than what is paid on average in Greater Boston. The average base salary in Eastern Massachusetts is $139,500. The average total compensation is $147,500.

South of Boston, the two highest-paid superintendents -- in Brockton and Milton -- are in an urban area with the fourth-largest school district in the state and in a Boston suburb that prides itself on its high-achieving students.

Basan Nembirkow of Brockton earns total compensation of $179,200 , while Magdalene Giffune of Milton receives $168,270 .

The two lowest-paid superintendents, Joseph A. Ciccolo of Blue Hills Regional Technical School , at $109,000 , and Patricia Oakley of West Bridgewater , at $110,000 , are first-year superintendents. On average, women superintendents are paid about 6 percent less than men, but many women are newer to the job and just now taking charge of some of the larger districts in the area, which generally pay more than smaller systems.

Districts across the region are paying top dollar for top superintendents because they are seen as essential to ensuring that students perform well, particularly in such standardized tests as the MCAS exams. But that willingness to open the checkbook also increases competition for the best candidates, further driving up their asking price, said leaders in the field.

"Strong leadership is key," said Robert Costrell , former governor Mitt Romney's education adviser and now professor of education reform and economics at the University of Arkansas . "You can look at different schools and districts with the same demographics and the same amounts of money, and there will be huge variations in performance."

But with a compensation package that often is the highest in town, taxpayer scrutiny is intense .

Nembirkow , the Brockton superintendent since 2004 , said his pay is warranted. He said he works in an urban district with problems and challenges including multiple languages, high poverty levels, and alternative programs. The job has changed over the past decade or more, he said, as superintendents are held more accountable for how students and schools perform by various yardsticks.

"Fifteen years ago, running schools was about managing and ensuring the budget was accounted for, the buildings were reasonably clean, and the football team won," said Nembirkow. "How well children were educated was irrelevant."

Giffune, who came to Milton from Uxbridge and has been a superintendent for 16 years, said she was "not apologetic" about her salary. "It's a big job with a lot of responsibility," she said. The system has about 3,700 students.

But the size of a district is often less of an issue in determining compensation than the desire of the community to have excellent schools, said officials.

Paying a large salary is "worth it to them, thinking it will make a difference in their school system," said Sam Tyler , president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau , a business-funded watchdog of the city's finances. "It's not just about that superintendent's talent and experience; it's about their ability to attract talent and keep it in the community."

Systems with 2,000 children are as willing to pay the same as those with 40,000, he said.

Andrew D. Nebenzahl of the Sharon School Committee agreed, saying it is no surprise that districts pay a lot for superintendents who can juggle multimillion-dollar budgets, thousands of students, and hundreds of employees.

"There are really not a lot of people who meet that criteria," Nebenzahl said. "If you find someone who is really good, pay them what they are worth, and assume they will repay the dividends exponentially."

But it's not always easy to convince taxpayers that their superintendent should be paid so much.

John Bonnanzio , chairman of the School Committee in Canton , where the superintendent is retiring, said, "I've been getting beaten up by the Finance Committee on this issue."

The current superintendent, Irene Kaplan, who makes about $161,000, has responsibility for "3,100 kids, 300-plus teachers, and a $26 million budget.

"You put all that together, and I assure you that in the private sector this person would make twice and maybe three times as much, given the responsibilities," said Bonnanzio. "That's why they are the highest paid individual in town."

Matt Carroll can be reached at mcarroll@globe.com; Erin Conroy at econroy@globe.com.