The State Commission of Investigation (SCI) issued a report on March 13 that questions school district practices for compensating administrators. The report calls for legislative and regulatory changes that address public disclosure and oversight of pay and benefit practices. Following release of the report, NJSBA stressed the challenges facing school boards in balancing their communities’ educational and financial concerns.

“Hiring the superintendent of schools is the single most important personnel decision a school board makes,” said NJSBA Executive Director Edwina M. Lee. “A superintendent’s job performance could turn a lagging school district around, and it could boost a high-performing school district. In essence, it sets performance standards for all employees and, consequently, it affects the quality of education.”

Public Interest “Compensation policies and employment practices must be consistent with the public interest, fair to the employee, and enable the local school board to maintain a quality education program and school leadership.

“The SCI report raises concerns about practices in some areas,” said Lee. “However, it ignores the efforts of local boards of education to build accountability and student performance goals into the employment relationship and the superintendent evaluation process.”

Public Discussion “The report provides a starting point for discussion of several issues surrounding school district employment—including public disclosure of compensation terms, adherence to pension system rules, and the need to amend current requirements for notifying superintendents of the board’s intent not to renew their contracts.  

“The SCI recommendations need to be taken under advisement, as there may be several mechanisms to resolve the issues—while still balancing communities’ demands for quality public schools,” she continued.

NJSBA has addressed the SCI report through the media, including  New Jersey Network News, NJ 101.5, KYW News Radio and other media.

Association Resource Last fall, NJSBA released an information resource, A Board’s Guide to the Superintendent’s Contract: Developing a Long-Term Partnership, in CD-ROM format. This resource includes guidelines on administrators’ compensation, constructing a contract, and evaluating the performance of the chief school administrator based on attainment of educational goals.