By rdnewsNOW staff

Province cuts school superintendent pay as review finds high salaries, big perks

Jun 1, 2018 | 11:54 AM

Alberta is reducing almost all salaries paid to school superintendents after a review determined they’ve been paid too much.

The review also found that taxpayer money was covering perks such as gym memberships and the costs for the children of one unnamed superintendent to go to college.

Education Minister David Eggen says the new salary grid will make sure superintendents are paid a fair and competitive wage while keeping as much money as possible in the classrooms.

“Clear limits for superintendent pay will help ensure public funds continue to be put where they can do the most good for Alberta’s students, while ensuring boards can continue to recruit top leaders,” he said in a release.

Red Deer Public Schools Superintendent Stu Henry gets an annual base salary of $216,300.

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Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools Superintendent Paul Mason collects a base salary of $215,000.

Eggen announced the review in March following reports of widely varying contracts, including a pending offer of $430,000 to Joan Carr of the Edmonton Catholic School Board.

Future contracts under the new grid will pay a minimum of $60,000 to a maximum of $275,000 for the biggest school boards.

Perks and benefits will also be limited.

Eggen had refused to sign off on Carr’s contract pending the review, and any deal Carr signs now will now be subject to the salary cap.

In a statement, the College of Alberta School Superintendents says they remain committed to working with the government to create a compensation structure that is fair, equitable and transparent, and respects the vital role superintendents play as education system leaders.

“While not all of CASS’ recommendations for a new structure were adopted by the government in this review, our Superintendents remain fully dedicated to overseeing and managing the schools where our children thrive,” said CASS President Christopher MacPhee. “We will work with the government to ensure the new structure is properly implemented across the province and that our collective energy remains focused on our students.”

(With file from The Canadian Press)