Analysis: East Windsor's Kane's Pay Lower Than State Average for School Superintendents

When it comes to the salaries and associated perks for the heads of schools around the state, the average cost to communities to retain their superintendents is in the triple digits.

According to the analysis by the New Haven Register, the Register-Citizen of Torrington and the Middletown Press, the average pay for a superintendent in Connecticut_ is about $166,000 a year, with 27 making more than $200,000 per year 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.

In East Windsor, Superintendent of Schools Theresa Kane is expected to earn $133,900 in salary for the 2012-13 school year, according to her contract and school board meeting minutes from July 11, 2012. This puts her below the state average pay for a school leader, according to the database. At that level of pay it costs East Windsor slightly more than $100 per student for the superintendent's base salary.

Kane started her tenure in East Windsor one year ago and has received glowing marks during her time as leader of the public schools.

On Tuesday, Kane said she “absolutely loves” being part of the district and the East Windsor community. Highlights for her include the Board of Education’s support, the clear educational goals, the staff and the students.

“There are a lot of good things going on here,” Kane said.

In addition to her salary, Kane also receives a $3,000 in-town travel allowance and $20,000 for the payment for the purpose of retirement benefits taken as salary, according to her contract. In July 2012, the school board also agreed to extend the amount of vacation time allotted by one week to 30 days "in recognition of her performance evaluation," according to meeting minutes.

As is common with many of the superintendents' contracts, Kane is allotted a specific amount of sick time - 54 days in 2012-13 - that can be rolled over each year; she cannot accumulate more than 215 sick days during her tenure in the position.

Some school superintendents earn more than $200,000 annually and get tens of thousands more each year in perks, the newspapers found. Westport's Elliot Landon takes home the most pay, at $285,077 ($49.93 per student), followed by Wilton superintendent Gary Richards at $267,587 ($61.12 per student) and Fairfield superintendent David Title at $264,500 ($26.57 per student).

The highest ratios of superintendent pay to students in the district fall in the smaller districts, topped by Eastford's Linda Loretz, who will earn $672.48 per student ($124,409).

Regional Editor Megan Bard contributed to this report.