$150K-Plus Salaries For Superintendent, Admins In Haddon, Haddonfield

HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ — It's becoming increasingly common for school administrators in New Jersey to make upwards of $150,000. This year, that included six leaders in Haddon Township and two in Haddonfield, according to data from the state Department of Education released this month.

Patch pulled salary data that includes superintendents, principals and assistant principals, curriculum directors and other employees in administrative positions within New Jersey schools. Overall, more than 3,200 administrators made $150,000 or more during the 2022-23 school year — about 600 more than the year prior.

• Read more: These Are The Highest Paid School Administrators In NJ: New Data

Here are the top administrative earners in the Haddon Township School District, along with their position, years of prior experience, and most recent salary. All data comes from the New Jersey Department of Education:

1. Gary O'Brien, principal of Haddon Township High School, 28 years $183,552
2. Robert Fisicaro, district superintendent, 21 years, $179,628
3. Charles Warfield, principal of Clyde S. Jennings Elementary School, 31 years, $162,828
4. Don Pullano, principal of Van Sciver Elementary School, 28 years, $155,452
5. Todd Green, district director of technology, 29 years, $152,603
6. Jennifer Gauld, district business administrator, 14 years, $152,407

Here are the Haddonfield School District's top earners, along with their position, years of prior experience, and most recent salary, according to state data:

1. Charles Klaus, district superintendent, 28 years, $187,860
2. Gino Priolo, district assistant superintendent, 17 years, $182,244

Why NJ School-Administrator Salaries Are Rising

Back in 2011, then-Gov. Chris Christie implemented a $175,000 cap for superintendents. The Christie administration raised the maximum base pay for superintendents to $191,584 in 2017.

Then in 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law that eliminated the cap for superintendent salaries, but set guidelines for school-executive contracts to limit or standardize bonuses and other perks.

School executive pay has long been a controversial subject in both local school district budgeting and state policy. Some of the state's highest-paid administrators received significant five- and even six-digit raises last year. But many districts struggled to maintain experienced superintendents when the position's pay was capped, according to a 2019 analysis from NJ Spotlight.

Superintendents, principals and other school leaders throughout the nation have faced intense scrutiny for COVID-19 management and from politically charged movements to overhaul or eliminate certain subjects and topics from the curriculum. But those obstacles have also fallen to teachers and other rank-and-file school employees. And the pandemic exacerbated New Jersey's shortage of teaching candidates.

With reporting from Michelle Rotuno-Johnson/Patch staff.