With his recent raise, the Westerville school district's Dan Good is officially the highest paid superintendent in Central Ohio.
Prior to the raise, Good ranked seventh in terms of salary compared with other local superintendents. Outranking the Westerville administrator were superintendents from the Olentangy, Dublin, Hilliard, New Albany, South-Western and Upper Arlington districts.
All salary figures were reported by the individual districts in a survey of current superintendent pay conducted by Suburban News Publications.
What put Good on top was a new five-year contract, approved Nov. 22 by the Westerville Board of Education. He previously earned $155,000, plus an additional annual payment of $25,000 if he met district goals.
The new pact included a 5 percent raise to his total salary, including base pay plus the "at-risk" bonus pay, boosting his annual salary to $189,000.
School board President Kristi Robbins said that the raise was meant to keep the district competitive.
"We looked around at the various salaries of other superintendents and tried to make sure we're not far out of line compared with similar-sized districts," she said. "We feel that we've invested in Dr. Good and he's invested in us, and we would like to retain him."
The cost of hiring a new high-level superintendent makes retention important, as advertising and recruiting alone can cost up to one-third of a superintendent's starting salary, Robbins said.
In Central Ohio, only the salaries of the Dublin and Columbus City Schools superintendents approach Good's new pay. Dublin's David Axner received a raise in August 2010, boosting his salary from $180,353 to $182,157. Columbus' Gene Harris got a 4 percent raise in July and now earns $179,308.
Upper Arlington's Jeff Weaver ranks fourth, with a salary of $167,184.
New Albany's Steve Castle ranked third last year, making $173,667 before he resigned in June. The district's new superintendent, April Domine, now earns $155,000, but is eligible for a 15 percent bonus if she meets district goals.
That change put Olentangy's Wade Lucas in fifth for highest local superintendent pay at $160,000, followed by Hilliard's Dale McVay at $158,241, SNP's survey found.
Robbins said that the Westerville district, which is the fifth biggest in Central Ohio and the 12th biggest in the state, can't fairly be compared with smaller districts around Columbus.
"Our district is much larger than many of the others. We took into account our size, demographics, and the expectations of the community," she said.
Robbins also said that Good's monthly allowances, totaling $1,000 to pay for mileage, cell phone and other expenses, are competitive for a superintendent who is on call 24/7 and frequently travels between schools.
According to school board members, Good's performance earned him his raise, especially his work toward boosting the district's state report card rating. It's the first raise the superintendent has received since he was hired in late 2007.
But some say the district's argument doesn't add up, including Robert Edwards, founder of LevyFacts.com , a website with an online database of district finances, including staff salaries.
"I just don't buy that we have to give these benefits packages and pay these incredible increases in salaries to attract and retain the best and the brightest," he said. "In this economy, that argument just doesn't hold water."
Mary Medors, spokesperson for recently-formed watchdog group Commons Sense for Westerville Schools, said that the board went "overboard" in its negotiations.
"Dan Good is very well thought of in this district, and a lot of people think he's great." she said. "That may well be, but we can't afford him if this is the cost."
Edwards, who is a member of Common Sense, said that some members might consider running to fill the two school board positions that will open up in November 2011, though no plans have been made so far.
"We need board members who don't make financial decisions in a vacuum and who will stop spending money we don't have," he said. "We need some common sense if we are really going to turn this ship around."
"We feel that we've invested in Dr. Good and he's invested in us, and we would like to retain him."
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