Report: Canton Superintendent’s Salary Slightly Above State Average

Canton School Superintendent Kevin Case will take home a total compensation package of $175,289 during the 2012-13 school year, an average of $91.70 per pupil, according to an analysis of the contracts of 148 superintendents compiled by Journal Register Co. newspapers in the state.

Twenty seven superintendents in the state make more than $200,000, according to a report in the New Haven Register.

Along with its sister news organizations, including the Middletown Press and the Litchfield County Times, the Register found that the average pay for school superintendents in Connecticut is $166,000 with base salary and annuity. 

In Canton, Kevin Case makes a a base salary of $160,289 and The Board of Education contributes $15,000 for an annuity, according to his contract.

Some school superintendents earn more than $200,000 annually and get tens of thousands more each year in perks, the newspapers found. Many also get generous benefit packages that include up to a month of vacation time and several weeks of sick time that can be accrued and then paid out if unused.

In addition, to 25 vacation days, Case has 25 sick days per year, 228 of which may be accumulated but he would not receive those days as compensation if he retired or resigned, according to the contract. 

Case also receives up to five personal days per year but they can not be accumulated. Under the contract, the Board of Education also pays up to $7,500 per year for professional development. His contract runs through June 30, 2015 with the option of a one-year extension. Salary for the second and third years will be negotiated and are not part of the contract. 

While the average annual pay for a school superintendent in Connecticut is $166,000, many school leaders make more than that, the report states. In West Hartford, for instance, Superintendent Karen List makes $230,000 annually with a tax-sheltered annuity included. That makes her the 14th highest paid superintendent in Connecticut.

In Avon, Superintendent of Schools Gary Mala earns a $175,000 annual salary and $10,000 a year in tax-sheltered annuity, amounting to $185,000 combined, according to his contract. 

In Berlin, School Superintendent David Erwin earns $203,000 annually, according to the report.