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| Feeding at the Trough: School Superintendents & Their Super Salaries |
By: By Christopher J. Wilmot
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May 5, 2008 Rochester, New York - The President of the United States (temporarily George Bush) makes $400,000 per year, plus perks, and there are a lot of perks; but hey, after all, he is the most powerful head of state in the world. In fact, it was only in recent years that congress raised the President's pay above $300,000 annually.
Jean-Claude Brizard, the newly appointed superintendent of the Rochester City School District (RCSD), makes about $220,000 per year. That's more than half of what the President of the United States makes, the leader of the free world. President Bush (no matter what one may think of him) is the leader of slightly more than 300 million Americans, and has his hand on the nuclear button (or as Bush pronounces nuclear: "nuculer"). By contrast, Brizard presides over approximately 33,000 RCSD students. President Bush administers an annual budget of approximately $2.7 trillion. Jean-Claude Brizard? About $638 million.
What's the point? To taxpayers, is the President of the United States a bargain at a salary of $400,000 / year, and Brizard an utter and complete rip-off at $220,000 / year? I don't know. But, one thing is certainly clear: If the President is fairly compensated for all that he or she does, then clearly any superintendent of any school district in Monroe County is grossly over paid. And speaking of other superintendents in our county...
The Rochester Business Journal publishes The Lists annually, providing a plethora of information as diverse as the most successful auto dealerships in Greater Rochester (by total number of retail vehicle sales), to the largest woman-owned businesses (based on the number of local full-time employees). On pages 34-35 of the 2008 edition (I paid $35. for the RBJ Lists at Barnes & Noble), the RBJ lists the Highest Paid Public Officials (ranked by current salary). As briefly as possible, here's how the list of Monroe County's highest paid public officials shakes out:
1.) Jean-Claude Brizard, RCSD Superintendent, $220,000 / year.
2.) Mary Alice Price, Pittsford Schools Superintendent, $210,000 / year.
3.) Steven Achramovitch, Greece Schools Superintendent, $203,300.
4.) Christopher Manaseri, Brighton Schools Superintendent, $186,840.
5.) Jon Hunter, Fairport Schools Superintendent, $186,300.
6.) Susan Grey, Penfield Schools Superintendent, $181,315.
7.) Jeffrey Crane, West Irondequoit Schools Superintendent, $181,250.
8.) Adele Bovard, Webster Schools Superintendent, $180,400.
9.) Kenneth Graham, Jr., Rush-Henrietta Schools Superintendent, $178,602.
10.) Michelle Kavanaugh, Honeoye Falls-Lima Schools Superintendent, $172,425.
11.) Howard Maffuci, East Rochester Schools Superintendent, $172,050.
12.) Richard Stein, Gates-Chili Schools Superintendent, $169,708.
13.) Gary Valenti, Assistant Super. for Admin., Brighton Schools, $169,013.
14.) James Fallon, Brockport Schools Superintendent, $168,000.
15.) Frederick Wille, Monroe 1-BOCES Superintendent, $164,161.
16.) Susan Allen, East Irondequoit Schools Superintendent, $163,375.
17.) Mary Anne Kermis, Spencerport Schools Superintendent, $157,500.
18.) David Dimbleby, Hilton Schools Superintendent, $157,000.
19.) Michael O'Laughlin, Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES, $156,344.
20.) Pamela Kissel, Churchville-Chili Schools Superintendent, $155,000.
21.) Michael Robinson, RCSD Chief of Operations, $153,250.
22.) Michael Looby, RCSD Chief Legal Council, $152,250.
23.) Vincent Carfagna, RCSD Chief Financial Officer, $152,000.
24.) Ford Greene, RCSD Chief Information Officer, $151,750.
25.) Andrew Doniger, Monroe County Health Director, $149,521.
39.) Michael Green, Monroe County District Attorney, $136,700.
48.) Three-Way Tie: Ann Mitchell; Donald Nadolinski; Carol Pallas; all Greece Schools Assistant Superintendents, $132,375.
The vast majority of the top 50 highest paid public officials in Greater Rochester are school district superintendents, or their assistants. Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks didn't even make the list ($120,000 / year). Neither did Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy ($127,694). Brooks administers a nearly $1 billion annual budget for the entire county population of some 730,000 people. Mayor Duffy represents about 208,000 city residents, and also oversees a multi-million dollar annual budget. Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn is conspicuously absent from the top 50 list. So are the City's top cop and chief of firefighters.
New York State--and especially the Greater Rochester area--is renowned for its K-12 public schools. We should never lose our dedication to providing the best public education we are able to provide. But at what cost? And why are these local school districts so top heavy with highly paid administrators? And finally, do we need so many school districts in Monroe County?
With the exception of tradition and probably some bigotry, why does Irondequoit (population 52,000) need two separate school districts? Why must the tiny village of East Rochester administer a separate school district for a handful of students? And, speaking of bigotry, why do New York State, and local residents, tolerate a third world school district (RCSD), surrounded by first world, and first rate, suburban districts, that are among the best in the nation?
Local school superintendents and their unjustified, sky-high salaries represent a wanton fiscal affront to every taxpayer in Monroe County. It's the same old problem with Monroe County and New York State: Too much government, with too many employees, at too high a price. This is shrill, shrieking fraud, perpetrated by our lazy and ineffectual politicians, in cahoots with their brethren in the public employees unions, on the docile and unsuspecting taxpayers. I am amazed we haven't had a tax revolt in New York State (yet?).
Government solvency in Monroe County and New York State is in such jeopardy, I am reminded of what Benjamin Franklin said about finance: "If you don't think money is hard to come by, just try to borrow some sometime." With governments all over our state beginning to reach their constitutional taxing authority limits, we as taxpayers, and our governmental representatives, may find Franklin's words all too prophetic.
Christopher J. Wilmot is a former Monroe County Legislator, having served from 1996-2005.
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