Invest

Where the money goes in public education

About the Author
Liv Finne
Director Emeritus, Center for Education

Download a PDF of this Policy Note with sources and citations here. 

Superintendents command top salaries while teachers and classrooms go short

Introduction

The Washington State legislature is working to further increase funding for public schools in response to the McCleary court decision. The increase is possible without raising taxes because of the extra $3 billion the state expects to receive for the next state operating budget.

Meanwhile, many parents and taxpayers are concerned about how public education money is spent, and whether teachers are receiving the resources they need in the classroom to educate students. School districts operate as a monopoly, and one significant area of spending is administrator salaries. As administrative costs rise, relatively less funding is available to pay for teacher salaries, classroom supplies and other student needs, even as lawmakers add billions to overall education spending.

To provide the public with information about where public education dollars go, this report lists the salaries of Washington’s school superintendents, not including additional insurance and pension benefits. This report shows that many superintendents in Washington are paid high salaries to administer small school districts.

School superintendents will help decide how the new resources provided in the next state budget will be spent. Historically, school superintendents in Washington have been hamstrung by many state policies and regulations which prevent better uses education dollars.

As a result, state figures show that only 60 cents of every school dollar actually reaches school classrooms. For example, one of the most highly paid superintendents in the state, Seattle’s Superintendent Larry Nyland, whose salary is $276,000, oversees an administration that delivers only 55 percent of every dollar to Seattle’s individual school buildings. The rest, or 45 percent of the Seattle district’s $689 million budget, is spent by the central office on transportation, food, overhead, non-teaching positions and other services.

Major findings

Salary figures are shown on an annual basis. Some superintendents serve part-time. Some superintendents receive salaries from more than one school district. Major findings in the data include:

  • 55 superintendents are paid at a higher salary rate than Governor Inslee
  • 34 superintendents are paid at a rate higher than $200,000 a year
  • 36 superintendents are paid at a rate three times greater than the average teacher salary
  • 220 superintendents are paid at a rate three times greater than the state starting teacher salary

(The governor’s salary is $166,900. The average teacher salary is $62,400. State funding for a starting teacher salary is about $34,000.)

A number of superintendents make more than the governor on an annual basis. Some superintendents earn very high annualized salaries, even though they work part time in districts with fewer than 100 students. Examples include:

  • Richard Apperson, $103,000 salary rate, Boisfort district, 65 students
  • Jim Baldwin, $110,000 salary rate, Endicott district, 74 students
  • Bill Glidewell, $93,000 salary rate, Evergreen (Ste) district, 20 students
  • Kathy Whitlock, $97,000 salary rate, Mill A district, 22 students
  • Randy Nelson, $120,000 salary rate, Lacrosse district, 65 students
  • Mike Perry, $105,000 salary rate, Keller district, 40 students

Some superintendents earn some of the highest salaries in government, although they oversee modest-size urban school districts. Examples include:

  • Greg Baker, $298,000, Bellingham district, 10,600 students
  • Elaine Beraza, $228,000, Yakima district, 15,700 students
  • Jean Shumate, $212,000, Stanwood-Camano district, 4,200 students
  • William Mester, $250,000, Snohomish district, 9,700 students
  • Rebecca Miner, $229,000, Shoreline district, 8,700 students
  • Tom Rockefeller, $206,000, Mead district, 9,100 students
  • Gary Plano, $201,000, Mercer Island district, 4,200 students
  • Marci Larsen, $274,000, Mukilteo district, 15,000 students

Figures are rounded. Total salaries paid to school superintendents include base and supplemental pay. The total salary reported is annualized for each 1.0 full-time equivalent position, or FTE, so superintendents who work 0.5 of an FTE receive half the reported annual salary.

Conclusion

High administrative salaries contribute to income inequality because some superintendents receive far more than the average teacher in the district. They also contribute to a sense of unfairness that administrators are paid so much while teachers say they are often underpaid and forced to go short on classroom supplies. The public also feels it is unfair that some of the money working-families pay in levies and property taxes is not used to help children learn.

The purpose of public education money is to educate children, but often families are denied access to resources that would enhance student learning. Currently, public money goes to school districts and union dues, where the financial interests of adults often conflict with the learning interests of children. The high superintendent salaries in many school districts are the result of the monopoly public education system, in which most families are assigned to a school based on zip code.

Reforms are needed to the outmoded and outdated ways school dollars are now spent. It makes sense that some parents be allowed to choose an education voucher as a way to access alternative learning programs for their children, especially for families assigned to underperforming schools.

Parents have almost no say when schools fail to educate children, no matter how much the superintendent is paid. Allowing greater family choice would help parents gain access to schools that help children make the most of their talents and abilities, and prepare for success in the workplace and in life.

Salaries of Washington state school superintendents, school year 2014-15

School District

Superintendent

Total FTE

Total Salary--Average per 1.0 FTE

Number of Students

Aberdeen

Thomas Opstad

1.00

$146,000.00

3,147

Adna

James Forrest

1.00

$107,765.00

563

Almira

Shauna Schmerer

0.65

$110,000.00

72

Anacortes

Mark Wenzel

1.00

$153,500.00

2,584

Arlington

Kristine McDuffy

1.00

$232,246.00

5,167

Asotin-Anatone

Dale Bonfield

1.00

$112,952.00

588

Auburn

Kip Herren

1.00

$220,242.00

15,086

Bainbridge

Faith Chapel

1.00

$141,984.00

3,736

Battle Ground

Mark Hottowe

2.00

$162,673.00

12,922

Bellevue

J. Tim Mills

1.00

$270,600.00

18,482

Bellingham

Greg Baker

1.00

$298,050.00

10,654

Benge

Mary Ault

0.25

$42,968.00

9

Bethel

Tom Seigel

1.00

$215,000.00

17,897

Bickleton

Ric Palmer

0.33

$174,804.00

96

Blaine

Ronald Spanjer

1.00

$141,844.00

2,024

Boistfort

Richard Apperson

0.31

$103,075.00

65

Bremerton

Aaron Leavell

1.00

$163,817.00

4,900

Brewster

Jane Sandbank

1.00

$110,508.00

900

Bridgeport

Frances Rabinowitz

1.00

$108,243.00

810

Brinnon

Wally Lis

0.43

$94,856.00

25

Burlington-Edison

Laurel Browning

1.00

$168,720.00

3,649

Camas

Mike Nerland

1.00

$173,088.00

6,226

Cape Flattery

Kandy Ritter

1.00

$110,000.00

430

Carbonado

Scott Hubbard

1.00

$91,670.00

174

Cascade

Bill Motsenbocker

1.00

$134,800.00

1,206

Cashmere

Glenn Johnson

1.00

$131,200.00

1,450

Castle Rock

Susan Barker

1.00

$118,000.00

1,237

Centerville

Kristin Cameron

0.50

$67,157.00

72

Central Kitsap

David McVicker

1.00

$175,000.00

10,423

Central Valley

Ben Small

1.00

$156,146.00

12,685

Centralia

Steve Warren

1.00

$132,222.00

3,584

Chehalis

Ed Rothlin

1.00

$142,560.00

2,690

Cheney

Debra J. Clemens

1.00

$151,000.00

4,191

Chewelah

Richard Linehan

1.00

$114,554.00

816

Chimacum

Rich Stewart

0.42

$177,448.00

1,069

Clarkston

Tim Winter

1.00

$125,000.00

2,566

Cle Elum-Roslyn

Gary Wargo

1.00

$120,000.00

867

Clover Park

Debbie LeBeau

1.00

$201,900.00

11,723

Colfax

Gabe Simon

0.90

$116,684.00

598

College Place

Tim Payne

0.75

$123,157.00

897

Colton

Nathan Smith

0.50

$95,060.00

150

Columbia (Ste)

Mike Young

0.50

$90,000.00

150

Columbia (Wal)

Louis Gates

1.00

$129,897.00

824

Colville

Pete Lewis

1.00

$120,000.00

1,725

Concrete

Barbara Hawkings

0.70

$124,800.00

497

Conway

Greg Murry

0.62

$148,917.00

410

Cosmopolis

Cherie Patterson

0.50

$96,780.00

114

Coulee-Hartline

Jim Evans

0.50

$99,333.00

168

Coupeville

Jim Shank

1.00

$151,500.00

877

Crescent

Clayton Mork

0.50

$110,000.00

271

Creston

Bill Wadlington

0.50

$89,820.00

100

Curlew

Steve McCullough

0.38

$97,298.00

190

Damman

Marsha Smith

 

 

38

Darrington

Dave Holmer

0.50

$148,622.00

423

Davenport

Jim Kowalkowski

1.00

$103,885.00

563

Dayton

Doug Johnson

1.00

$95,088.00

412

Deer Park

Becky Berg

1.00

$115,000.00

2,471

Dieringer

Judy Meumeier-Martinson

0.80

$135,720.00

1,445

Dixie

Burton Dickerson

0.67

$50,000.00

25

East Valley (Spo)

Kelly Shea

1.00

$162,000.00

4,088

East Valley (Yak)

John J. Schieche

1.00

$163,800.00

3,025

Eastmont

Garn Christensen

1.00

$192,715.00

5,665

Easton

Patrick Dehuff

1.00

$114,477.00

102

Eatonville

Krestin Bahr

1.00

$165,333.00

1,786

Edmonds

Nick Brossoit

1.00

$248,551.00

19,718

Ellensburg

Paul Farris

1.00

$120,000.00

2,915

Elma

Howard King

1.00

$128,169.00

1,566

Endicott

Jim Baldwin

0.50

$110,000.00

74

Enumclaw

Mike Nelson

1.00

$167,572.00

3,794

Ephrata

Jerry Simon

1.00

$157,792.00

2,373

Everett

Gary Cohn

1.00

$218,346.00

18,453

Evergreen (Clark)

John Deeder

1.00

$258,182.00

26,310

Evergreen (Ste)

Bill Glidewell

0.22

$93,333.00

20

Federal Way

Tammy Campbell

1.00

$212,200.00

21,508

Ferndale

Linda Quinn

1.00

$164,790.00

4,526

Fife

Kevin Alfano

 

$135,000.00

3,387

Finley

Lance Hahn

1.00

$120,204.00

894

Franklin Pierce

Frank Hewins

1.00

$228,721.00

7,528

Freeman

Randy Russell

1.00

$139,661.00

840

Garfield

Zane Wells

0.50

$90,000.00

86

Glenwood

Scott Harris

0.50

$90,000.00

72

Goldendale

Mark Heid

1.00

$149,099.00

870

Grand Coulee Dam

Dennis Carlson

1.00

$124,800.00

666

Grandview

Kevin Chase

1.00

$174,143.00

3,605

Granger

Margarita C. Lopez

1.00

$102,154.00

1,461

Granite Falls

Linda Hall

1.00

$146,346.00

1,949

Grapeview

Jay Hambly

1.00

$62,984.00

195

Great Northern

Glenn Frizzell

1.00

$31,028.00

42

Green Mountain

Joe Jones

0.69

$96,484.00

137

Griffin

Greg Woods

0.50

$111,394.00

590

Harrington

Mike Perry

0.60

$91,667.00

87

Highland

Mark Anderson

1.00

$128,348.00

1,177

Highline

Susan Enfield

1.00

$246,753.00

18,796

Hockinson

Sandra Yager

1.00

$128,400.00

1,780

Hood Canal

Shawn Batstone

0.50

$117,212.00

273

Hoquiam

Mike Parker

1.00

$118,689.00

1,586

Inchelium

Kim Spacek

0.85

$111,765.00

206

Index

Bette Kokenes

0.21

$130,159.00

41

Issaquah

Ron Thiele

1.00

$245,350.00

18,034

Kahlotus

Mark Bitzer

0.00

$0.00

45

Kalama

James D. Sutton

1.00

$119,355.00

877

Keller

Mike Perry

0.50

$105,000.00

40

Kelso

Glenn Gelbrich

1.00

$172,800.00

4,689

Kennewick

Dave Bond

1.00

$131,287.00

16,776

Kent

Calvin Watts

2.00

$273,320.00

26,930

Kettle Falls

Thaynan L. Knowlton

1.00

$108,000.00

881

Kiona-Benton City

Wade Haun

1.00

$109,968.00

1,426

Kittitas

Monty Sabin

1.00

$28,350.00

651

Klickitat

Jerry Lynch

1.00

$84,161.00

74

La Conner

Tim Bruce

1.00

$132,958.00

564

La Center

Mark Mansell

0.95

$145,000.00

1,530

Lacrosse

Randy Nelson

0.50

$120,000.00

65

Lake Chelan

Rob Manahan

1.00

$156,748.00

1,353

Lake Quinault

Rich DuBois

1.00

$85,000.00

172

Lake Stevens

Amy Beth Cook

1.00

$248,030.00

7,837

Lake Washington

Traci Pierce

1.00

$233,100.00

26,111

Lakewood

Michael Mack

1.00

$147,211.00

2,180

Lamont

Ricardo Robles

0.00

$0.00

38

Liberty

Kyle Rydell

0.60

$120,000.00

392

Longview

Greg Kirsch

1.00

$181,337.00

6,529

Loon Lake

Terry Munther

0.30

$100,000.00

171

Lopez Island

Bill Evans

0.41

$120,482.00

22

Lyle

Brian Carter

0.40

$84,500.00

215

Lynden

Jim Frey

1.00

$149,259.00

2,664

Mabton

Minerva Morales

0.65

$113,913.00

900

Mansfield

Cora Nordby

0.43

$84,000.00

62

Manson

Matt Charlton

1.00

$122,664.00

641

Mary M. Knight

Ellen Perconti

0.75

$113,000.00

172

Mary Walker

Kevin Jacka

1.00

$103,835.00

493

Marysville

Becky Berg

1.00

$219,633.00

10,900

McCleary

Tita Mallory

0.75

$110,000.00

250

Mead

Tom Rockefeller

1.00

$206,500.00

9,183

Medical Lake

Timothy D. Ames

1.00

$133,000.00

1,775

Mercer Island

Gary Plano

1.00

$201,963.00

4,203

Meridian

Tom Churchill

1.00

$136,550.00

1,618

Methow Valley

Tom Venable

1.00

$125,081.00

610

Mill A

Kathy Whitlock

0.20

$97,185.00

22

Monroe

Ken Hoover

1.00

$216,238.00

6,854

Montesano

Dan Winter

1.00

$122,055.00

1,192

Morton

John Hannah

0.50

$103,400.00

277

Moses Lake

Michelle Price

1.00

$163,296.00

7,854

Mossyrock

Karen Ernest

1.00

$107,180.00

513

Mount Adams

Henry Strom

1.00

$121,500.00

942

Mount Baker

 

1.00

$142,600.00

1,739

Mount Pleasant

Vicki Prendergast

 

 

61

Mt Vernon

Carl Bruner

1.00

$152,917.00

6,546

Muckleshoot Tribal

C. Michael Aaron

1.00

$140,438.00

 

Mukilteo

Marci Larsen

1.00

$274,521.00

15,023

Naches Valley

Duane Lyons

1.00

$121,775.00

1,311

Napavine

Richard Jones

1.00

$109,270.00

728

Naselle-Grays R.

Lisa Nelson

2.00

$76,655.00

301

Nespelem

Debra Pankey

0.38

$51,948.00

120

Newport

Dave Smith

1.00

$112,000.00

995

Nine Mile Falls

Brian L. Talbott

0.85

xxx 32488

1,464

Nooksack Valley

Mark Johnson

1.00

$200,440.00

1,538

North Beach

S. Pinnick, David Wayman

0.82

$135,914.00

639

North Franklin

Gregg Taylor

1.00

$153,868.00

2,030

North Kitsap

Patty Page

1.00

$170,980.00

5,722

North Mason

Dana Rosenbach

1.00

$130,000.00

2,008

North River

D. Pickering

0.50

$100,663.00

52

North Thurston

Raj Manhas

1.00

$227,908.00

14,242

Northport

Wes Harris

1.00

$106,908.00

236

Northshore

Larry Francois

1.00

$233,299.00

19,719

Oak Harbor

Lance Gibbon

1.00

$160,551.00

5,414

Oakesdale

Jacob Dingman

0.77

$125,381.00

104

Oakville

Kathy Lorton

1.00

$90,000.00

234

Ocean Beach

Jenny Risner

1.00

$118,000.00

952

Ocosta

Paula Akerlund

1.00

$110,285.00

621

Odessa

Sue Ellen White

0.48

$114,715.00

190

Okanogan

Richard Johnson

1.00

$118,139.00

1,083

Olympia

Dick Cvitanich

1.00

$178,275.00

9,152

Omak

Erik Swanson

1.00

$135,000.00

5,180

Onalaska

Jeff Davis

1.00

$128,997.00

733

Onion Creek

Patsy Guglielmino

0.12

$109,483.00

39

Orcas Island

Eric Webb

1.00

$120,000.00

750

Orchard Prairie

Duane Reidenbach

0.30

$129,051.00

70

Orient

Tara Holmes

0.06

$66,748.00

97

Orondo

Millie Watkins

0.45

$95,680.00

163

Oroville

Steve Quick

1.00

$102,900.00

534

Orting

Michelle Curry

1.00

$133,102.00

2,276

Othello

George Juarez

1.00

$145,449.00

4,042

Palisades

Ismael Vivanco

 

 

28

Palouse

Calvin Johnson

1.00

$50,000.00

176

Pasco

Saundra Hill

1.00

$175,775.00

16,557

Pateros

Lois Davies

1.00

$64,500.00

280

Paterson

John Seaton

0.70

$87,500.00

124

Pe Ell

Kyle MacDonald

1.00

$94,000.00

269

Peninsula

Chuck Cuzzetto

1.00

$167,142.00

8,501

Pioneer

Martin A. Brewer

1.00

$110,000.00

650

Pomeroy

Doug LaMunyan

0.50

$87,767.00

299

Port Angeles

Marc Johnson

1.00

$159,004.00

3,699

Port Townsend

David Engle

1.00

$131,250.00

1,151

Prescott

Brett Cox

0.90

$100,062.00

292

Prosser

Ray Tolcacher

1.00

$130,000.00

2,725

Pullman

Paul Sturm

1.00

$128,106.00

2,383

Puyallup

Tim Yeomans

1.00

$236,315.00

21,073

Queets-Clearwater

Scott M. Carter

1.00

$76,000.00

27

Quilcene

Wally Lis

0.42

$106,962.00

566

Quillayute Valley

Diana Reaume

1.00

$115,560.00

3,298

Quincy

John L. Boyd

1.00

$140,477.00

2,655

Rainier

Tim Garchow

1.00

$117,000.00

773

Raymond

Stephen A. Holland

1.00

$145,009.00

648

Reardan

Marcus Morgan

1.00

$104,000.00

557

Renton

Merri Rieger

1.00

$254,676.00

14,788

Republic

Kyle Rydell

0.80

$97,921.00

304

Richland

Rick Schulte

1.00

$200,036.00

11,604

Ridgefield

Nathan McCann

1.00

$147,400.00

2,029

Ritzville

Rob Roettger

1.00

$126,316.00

295

Riverside

Roberta Kramer

1.00

$158,239.00

1,455

Riverview

Anthony Smith

1.00

$183,419.00

3,178

Rochester

Kim Fry

1.00

$136,319.00

2,136

Roosevelt

Tom Whitmore

0.33

$81,437.00

26

Rosalia

Larry Keller

0.35

$159,429.00

185

Royal

Rose Search

1.00

$123,310.00

1,566

San Juan Island

Rick Thompson

1.00

$113,587.00

762

Seattle

Larry Nyland

 

No report

50,463

Sedro-Woolley

Phil Brockman

1.00

$142,500.00

4,078

Selah

Shane Backlund

1.00

$140,000.00

3,407

Selkirk

Nancy Lotze

0.40

$103,535.00

238

Sequim

Kelly Shea

1.00

$133,900.00

2,682

Shaw

 

 

 

8

Shelton

Art Jarvis

2.00

$136,550.00

4,045

Shoreline

Rebecca Miner

1.00

$229,704.00

8,722

Skamania

Sally Godwin

 

 

72

Skykomish

Martin Schmidt

1.00

$80,000.00

42

Snohomish

William Mester

1.00

$250,678.00

9,686

Snoqualmie Valley

Joel Aune

1.00

$179,688.00

6,101

Soap Lake

Danny McDonald

1.00

$107,000.00

463

South Bend

Jon Tienhaara

1.00

$120,200.00

513

South Kitsap

Michelle Reid

1.00

$177,996.00

8,715

South Whidbey

Josephine Moccia

1.00

$135,000.00

1,349

Southside

Doris Bolender

0.50

$106,080.00

185

Spokane

Shelley Redinger

1.00

$239,999.00

29,260

Sprague

Pat and Joe Whipple

0.00

$0.00

62

St. John

Jim Baldwin

0.50

$110,000.00

168

Stanwood-Camano

Jean Shumate

1.00

$212,440.00

4,171

Star

Rich Puryear

0.21

$115,072.00

6

Steilacoom Hist.

Kathi Weight

1.00

$151,900.00

3,002

Steptoe

 

1.00

$5,019.00

32

Stevenson-Carson

Dan Read

0.00

$0.00

896

Sultan

Dan Chaplik

1.00

$152,700.00

1,814

Summit Valley

Heidi Pace

0.50

$96,428.00

75

Sumner

Sara Johnson

1.00

$191,200.00

8,486

Sunnyside

Richard Cole

1.00

$180,951.00

6,399

Tacoma

Carla Santorno

1.00

$253,898.00

27,574

Taholah

David L. Tomlin

0.50

$140,906.00

168

Tahoma

Rob Morrow

1.00

$171,996.00

7,461

Tekoa

Connie Kliewer

 

 

196

Tenino

Joe Belmonte

1.00

$126,100.00

1,065

Thorp

Linda Martin

1.00

$100,510.00

91

Toledo

Sharon Bower

1.00

$105,480.00

757

Tonasket

Steve McCullough

1.00

$119,682.00

1,050

Toppenish

John Cerna

1.00

$59,261.00

4,075

Touchet

Susan Bell

1.00

$97,500.00

223

Toutle Lake

Scott Grabenhorst

1.00

$99,958.00

566

Trout Lake

Doug Dearden

0.50

$102,981.00

204

Tukwila

Nancy Coogan

1.00

$46,200.00

2,917

Tumwater

Mike Kirby

1.00

$158,000.00

6,428

Union Gap

Kurt Hilyard

1.00

$109,687.00

603

University Place

Patti Banks

1.00

$183,770.00

5,193

Valley

Kevin Foster

1.00

$127,500.00

647

Vancouver

Steven Webb

1.00

$242,960.00

22,216

Vashon Island

Michael Soltman

1.00

$158,050.00

1,466

Wahkiakum

W. Robert Garrett

0.53

$148,679.00

402

Wahluke

Aaron Chavez

1.00

$125,000.00

2,209

Waitsburg

Carol Clarke

0.50

$103,832.00

269

Walla Walla

Bill Jordan

1.00

$150,420.00

5,975

Wapato

Becky Imler

1.00

$150,500.00

3,346

Warden

David LaBounty

1.00

$120,000.00

936

Washougal

Dawn Tarzian

1.00

$135,499.00

3,046

Washtucna

Vance Wing

0.50

$105,000.00

46

Waterville

Cathi Nelson

1.00

$100,400.00

254

Wellpinit

John Adkins

1.00

$132,301.00

501

West Valley (Spokane)

Gene Sementi

1.00

$152,483.00

3,723

West Valley (Yak)

Mike Brophy

1.00

$157,465.00

4,721

White Pass

Chuck Wyborney

1.50

$72,333.00

395

White River

Janel Keating

1.00

$159,840.00

3,427

White Salmon

Jerry Lewis

0.60

$110,000.00

1,195

Wilbur

Steve Gaub

1.00

$108,125.00

250

Willapa Valley

Rob Friese

1.00

$119,670.00

300

Wilson Creek

Monte Redal

1.00

$97,500.00

127

Winlock

Sharon Criss

1.00

$106,000.00

637

Wishkah Valley

Ray Yoder

0.50

$106,608.00

125

Wishram

Heather Gimlin

0.50

$80,000.00

77

Woodland

Michael Green

1.00

$125,436.00

2,184

Yakima

Elaine Beraza

1.00

$228,567.00

15,732

Yelm

Andy Wolf

1.00

$161,867.00

5,338

Zillah

Kevin McKay

0.75

$150,840.00

1,291

 

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