Board backs salary cap for BOCES boss
Trustees have endorsed state legislation that would increase to $245,000 the top salary for BOCES superintendents.
KINGSTON, N.Y. >> School trustees have endorsed state legislation that would increase to $245,000 the maximum salary that could be paid to BOCES district superintendents.
The support was given during a Board of Education meeting Wednesday, with officials noting that the current salary cap of $166,752 was designed to keep BOCES superintendents from earning more than the $170,155 the state education commissioner was paid 15 years ago.
“Currently the salary is capped at 98 percent of the commissioner’s 2003-04 or 106 percent of the previous year’s salary, whichever is less,” board President Nora
Scherer said.
Legislation has passed both the state Assembly and Senate, but has yet to be signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Under the proposed law, salaries could not increase more than 6 percent per year and could not exceed 98 percent of the state commissioner’s 2018-19 salary, which Ulster
County BOCES reports to be $250,000.
Ulster County BOCES Superintendent Charles Khoury on Friday noted that his position requires both maintaining the equivalent of a school system through BOCES programs, as well as working on behalf of component school districts that need services.
“It’s hard to attract the best and brightest because
they can make more money working for local school districts,” he said. “This will at least make the job more attractive for experienced superintendents who want to have more of an influence on education in a region. Right now, ... from Ulster County down through Rockland County, there are assistant principals who make more money than (BOCES) superintendent.”
The current annual salary of Kingston school district Superintendent Paul Padalino is $204,000.
Kingston board members said BOCES services play a critical role in providing services that would be too expensive for individual school districts to pay for individually.
“District superintendents play a critical role in helping shape and implement important education policies that directly impact our students,” Scherer said. “It’s important
that BOCES recruit and retain highly qualified individuals.”
State lawmakers in the legislation wrote that local school districts need BOCES superintendents who can find ways to reduce local budgets.
“BOCES play an important role in improving the education of students as well as helping school districts and the state to save money by achieving collaborations and greater efficiencies,” they wrote. “This role requires experienced district superintendents...who have the skills
and strong educational background to lead and meet the challenges necessary to ensure our students succeed.”
School district Trustee James Shaughnessy, who is also on the Ulster County BOCES governing board, said “the BOCES superintendent is supposed to be the representative of the commissioner of education within that BOCES district, so it makes sense that the cap should be whatever that is,” he said. “But to not change it in 15 years, there is just no good reason for that.”