Erardi's Pay Just Above State Average, Database Shows

Besides their hefty six-figure salaries, Connecticut school superintendents also command enviable perks and bonuses, according to a report in the New Haven Register.

Along with its sister news organizations, including the Middletown Press and the Litchfield County Times, the Register found that the average pay for school superintendents in Connecticut is $166,000 and that they can significantly boost that pay with other negotiated perks and benefits, including compensation for unused sick time, meal allowances, travel pay and bonuses.

Southington School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi Jr., earns $177,000 annually after factoring in benefits and annuities, which puts him just above the state average pay for a school leader. At that level of pay it costs Southington $25.93 per student, which is below both the state average and the average for surrounding communities.

According to the chart, Cheshire pays $30.72 per student for their superintendent's salary, Berlin pays $63.08 per student and Wolcott pays $49.56. Meriden and Bristol each average around $20 per student.

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The Register included in its story a database of its review of the pay of 148 superintendents, along with links to their contracts.

Some school superintendents earn more than $200,000 annually and get tens of thousands more each year in perks, the newspapers found. Many also get generous benefit packages that include up to a month of vacation time and several weeks of sick time that can be accrued and then paid out if unused.

While the average annual pay for a school superintendent in Connecticut is $166,000, many school leaders make more than that, the report states. In West Hartford, for instance, Superintendent Karen List makes $230,000 annually with a tax-sheltered annuity included. That makes her the 14th highest paid superintendent in Connecticut.

In Berlin, School Superintendent David Erwin earns $203,000 annually, according to the report.

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