Schools

Christie Moves Forward with Salary Caps

Chatham Board of Education opposes governor's plans to impose administrator caps.

Salaries for school superintendents throughout the state could be subject to caps effective Feb. 7, 2011 as outlined by Gov. Chris Christie in July.

The new guidelines will deal a blow to the salaries of more than 360 school superintendents' salaries, including that of School District of the Chathams Superintendent Jim O'Neill. O'Neill currently earned $207,998 in 2009 and will have a pay cut of over $35,000.

A press release from Christie's office on Monday said that imposing caps on superintendents' salaries will "promote the prudent use of scarce property tax dollars."

Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Capping pay to reasonable levels is a common sense initiative that will end abuses that have been permitted for too long at the expense of our children's education," Christie said in the statement. "By bringing superintendent salaries in-line with district needs, we will be able to save millions in tax dollars and put that money back where it belongs—in the classrooms."

The Chatham Board of Education voted in August to send a letter of opposition to Christie after the salary cap was first announced. Board member Richard Connor said, "I think that no matter what we send, it is going to be ignored. But you don't not do something just because you are not going to win; you do things because you think they are right."

Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Christie's reforms would regulate superintendents' salaries based on the number of students enrolled in each district. The School District of the Chathams , which would cap O'Neill's salary at $165,ooo per year.

Four public hearings on the regulations of the pay caps have been scheduled for 6 p.m. on the following dates:

  • Nov. 18 at Kean University in Union;
  • Nov. 29 at the North Warren Regional High School auditorium in Blairstown;
  • Dec. 2 at Cumberland County College, Conference and Events Center, Vineland;
  • Dec. 7 at Burlington County Institute of Technology, Westampton Campus auditorium, Westampton.

The regulations for the salary caps are published on the State of New Jersey Department of Education's website.


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