P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI

NJSBA Comments on Proposed Administrator Salary Cap

TRENTON,July 15, 2010—The executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association said today that the organization will review Governor Christie’s proposed caps on superintendent salaries from the perspective of its impact on a board of education’s ability to secure effective school leadership.

“The role of the board of education is not to advocate for administrators’ salaries, but to ensure quality school leadership,” said Marie S. Bilik, NJSBA executive director. “We will analyze the governor’s proposed salary caps from that vantage point. Obviously, major changes in compensation could affect the pool of qualified chief school administrators available to New Jersey school districts.”

At the same time, Bilik noted that NJSBA supports the concept of merit-based bonuses tied to educational goals. “We advise school districts to establish such goals for their superintendents. It's a critical part of the evaluation process,” she explained.

Bilik also indicated that the Association has expedited local school district efforts to share chief school administrators, which the governor said could be an outcome of his proposal.

Administrative Costs While salaries of some individual superintendents have gained public attention, U.S. Department of Education statistics show that, in New Jersey, administrative spending (as a percentage of total expenditures) is lower than that of most other states.

The department’s National Center for Education Statistics indicates that New Jersey directs 9.5 percent of public school expenditures toward central-office and school-level administration, as compared to a nationwide average of 10.8 percent. According to this report, New Jersey administrative spending is lower than that of 42 other states. At the same time, New Jersey’s spending on instruction and student support services (71.9% of total expenditures) is higher than the nationwide average.

The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of 588 local boards of education and includes 44 charter school associate members. NJSBA advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education.