School employees dominate Oxford’s top salaries list

OXFORD — Like most Naugatuck Valley municipalities, Board of Education personnel topped Oxford’s list of the highest-paid earners in 2019.

Dorothy Potter, Oxford High School’s principal, was the top earner with $162,539, followed by Rebecca Cavallaro, director of pupil personnel services, at $157,634.

Stephanie Miller, the Board of Education president and a retired school administrator, was not surprised by the number of Valley municipalities whose highest paid public employees are school personnel.

“It is typical in small suburban towns in Connecticut for Board of Education employees to be top wage earners,” Miller said. “In Oxford, we value and support our educational leaders who are preparing our children for a successful future.”

She said the district, which is headed by Superintendent of Schools Jason McKinnon and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Robert Miller, led “the way to the e-learning platform required in March because of the pandemic. Students’ access to education barely skipped a beat and the staff stepped up to the plate with vigor.”

McKinnon, the district’s first-year superintendent, finished ninth at $106,779 among Board of Education personnel and 15th among the town’s overall top 20 earners.

“The town is independent 1. Dorothy Potter, Oxford High School principal, $162,539 15. Jason McKinnon, Superintendent of schools, $106,779

of the Board of Education,” said First Selectman George Temple. “We have no say in how they spend their money. Nevertheless, I’m pretty happy with the way our school system is working.”

Excluding the school employees, Wayne Watt, the town’s Public Works director, was the highest earner with a salary of $119,909. In the top 10 list of municipal workers, six police officers snagged spots.

“Police salaries are bolstered by outside overtime by working on construction sites or events,” Temple said. “They are paid by the companies, like utilities and contractors, that hire them.”

Temple said he believes that the town “is getting our bang for the bucks.”

Here are the top 10 school employees:

⏩ 1. Dorothy Mary Potter, Oxford High School principal: $162,539

⏩ 2. Rebecca Cavallaro, director of pupil personnel services: $157,634

⏩ 3. Anthony T. Hibbert, principal Great Oak Middle School: $151,881

⏩ 4. Heath A. Hendershot, Oxford Center School 16. Olga Simoes, Schools director of finance, $105,808

principal: $151,348

⏩ 5. Rachael Cacace, Quaker Farms School principal: $151,036

⏩ 6. Robert Schumann, Oxford High School assistant principal: $145,620

⏩ 7. Donna Morelli, Great Oak Middle School assistant principal: $118,138

⏩ 8. Silvia Ouellette, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment: $116,794

⏩ 9. Jason Larry McKinnon, superintendent of schools: $106,779

⏩ 10. Olga Simoes, director of finance: $105,808

Here are the top 10 municipal wage earners, excluding the schools:

⏩ 1. Wayne Watt, director of Public Works: $119,909

⏩ 2. David Ives, police officer: $117,581

⏩ 3. James Hliva, finance director: $113,082

⏩ 4. Darren Pavlik, police officer: $112,961

⏩ 5. Scott Pelletier, fire marshal: $112,142

⏩ 6. David Hare, police officer: $107,002

⏩ 7. Kevin Miles, public works employee: $105,708

⏩ 8. Thomas Gugliotti, police officer: $105,087

⏩ 9. Jose Taverner, police officer: $100,102

⏩ 10. Keith Buiauskas, police officer: $96,895

The team is made up of students and alumni from Sacred Heart University and Becker College.