School board continues discussion on superintendent pay
The School District of Lee County’s first elected superintendent since the ’70s will be district’s top-paid administrator and will receive full-time employee benefits, including raises comparable to those granted unionized staff.
Last month, the school board approved a policy for “discretionary compensation,” meaning that the elected body will determine annually what the elected superintendent will earn.
According to the policy, “the superintendent’s base salary shall be based on and adjusted at the beginning of each fiscal year in the manner prescribed by Florida Statutes. The superintendent shall be entitled to all salary increases and supplements allowable by law.”
The policy further states that the superintendent is entitled to full-time employee benefits and shall not make less than any other employee at any given time.
“Therefore, the superintendent’s final salary shall be more than the highest administrator’s salary per the administrative salary schedule,” the policy states.
The policy also addressed when the superintendent is entitled to salary increases, or bonuses.
School Board Member Melisa Giovannelli said they needed to include SPALC and TALC, as far as when considering an increase in pay.
“Administrators received a pay increase when staff did not,” she said. “We did give an administrative salary increase when SPALC and TALC did not get one at the time. It is important. I wanted to make sure it was in this actual policy.”
The approved policy also reads:
“The superintendent shall also be entitled to all salary increases or bonuses that other employees on the administrative salary schedule may receive from time to time in due consideration of TALC and SPALC. Changes to this initial compensation may be made either on the anniversary date of his/her election or at other times when special circumstances occur, such as salary raises for other employees on the administrative salary schedule. At its sole discretion, and by majority vote, the board may provide the superintendent with a supplement by official board action above the prescribed noted salary for any given fiscal year based on student achievement, communication, and operational performance.”
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