Sunday • December 15, 2002

School administrators' salaries make the grade

By Tanya Mannes/Reporter Staff

Which K-12 school administrator in Solano County takes home the biggest paycheck?

Starting in January, that distinction will go to Vacaville's newly hired superintendent, John Aycock, whose base salary will be $142,000 - $2,000 more than the listed salary for the nationally advertised position.

Aycock will take the helm from Interim Superintendent Darrel Taylor, who earns $580 for each day he works, and does not receive any other benefits.

The top-paid school administrator countywide is Solano Community College's new superintendent, Paulette Perfumo, who will earn a base salary of $148,000.

While total compensation packages for Aycock and Perfumo are not yet known, the pair may end up giving Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District Superintendent Sharon Tucker a run for her money.

According to The Reporter's 25th Survey of Top Public Servant's Pay, Tucker has the largest compensation package of any school administrator in the county. Her total compensation package is $170,657, including a base salary of $139,873 - double the base salary of a teacher with 25 years of experience in the same district.

Vallejo's top schools chief has a comparable base salary, but her benefits are not as high. Gladys Philips-Evans earns a base salary of $140,000, with a total compensation package of $166,205. This is the first year The Reporter's survey has included figures from south county agencies.

Cost-of-living increases, movements up the salary scale and re-classifications to bring salaries in line with those of comparable districts caused the pay for some managers to increase in one year by as much as 28.9 percent.

That 28.9 percent raise - in Fairfield-Suisun - went to Assistant Director of Maintenance and Operation Michael Swearingen, who benefited when his subordinates sought a re-classification. Apparently, the outcome was in their favor.

That meant a raise - for them as well as the people above them.

"It was a parity issue," said Director of Maintenance Bill Vucurevich, who is Swearingen's boss.

While not the most top-heavy school district in the county, Fairfield-Suisun still has more administrators - one for every 11.4 teachers - than some nearby districts.

Vacaville gets by with fewer managers: one administrator for every 16.98 teachers. Responding to budget woes, Vacaville's school board cut four assistant principal positions this year, all through attrition. Meanwhile, the duties associated with the eliminated positions were parceled out to other managers.

"It was a real shuffle," said Ron Hawkins, negotiation chair for the district, calling the cuts "a cost-savings decision."

Raises were meted out sparingly. Of the nine Vacaville administrators whose base salaries went up in the last year, four actually had promotions.

Deputy Superintendent for Educational Services Linda Ownby is the second-highest-paid employee in Vacaville's district with a total compensation package of $139,308. She did not receive a raise to her base salary.

In comparison, a teacher in Vacaville who has taught for 30 years and who holds a doctorate hits the salary ceiling at $69,329.

Travis Unified School District Superintendent Jacki Cottingim received a 10 percent raise, bringing her compensation package to $145,905.

The biggest raise in her district - 28.1 percent, or $21,787 - went to Fiscal Services Director Susan Rinne, for taking on duties formerly held by William Taylor, assistant superintendent for business and fiscal resources.

Taylor is involved in a multimillion-dollar air conditioning and renovation project, according to Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Steve Vaczovsky.

"(Rinne) was hired as a glorified clerk ... and she was functioning as a budget director," he said. "We adjusted her salary to what she was doing."

Six managers got 8 percent to 9 percent raises; most others (except board members) earned 4 percent. Travis added at least two management positions this year, and it now has one administrator for every 9.8 teachers.

In the Dixon Unified School District, most managers received raises after not getting any increases last year. The highest, 21.2 percent, went to David Robertson, who went from being an assistant principal to principal at a different school. Raises not tied to promotions ranged from 4 percent to 7.4 percent.

Dixon Superintendent Wally Holbrook received a 4 percent raise, bringing his total compensation packege to $130,801.

Solano Community College managers got either 3.9 percent or 8 percent raises. Benefits stayed the same, although the district's share grew because of rising health costs.

The Solano County Office of Education sent an abbreviated list this year, noting that they included information on employees who really didn't qualify as top managers in the past.

Tanya Mannes can be reached at tanya@thereporter.com.