$250K-Plus Salaries For Mendham And Chester Superintendent, Principals

MENDHAM/CHESTER, NJ — It's becoming more common for superintendents, principals, and educational administrators state-wide to earn more than $150,000 including in Mendham and Chester, according to data from the New Jersey Department of Education.

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

In Morris County, Superintendent of the West Morris Regional High School District Michael Ben-David topped the list of earners with a salary of $254,383 followed by the Morris Hills Regional School District's Superintendent James Jencarelli with $253,893.

Ben-David recently left the West Morris Regional High School District for another job last month and will be replaced by Barbara Sargent, the former superintendent of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District.

The highest earner for the Mendham Township School District last year was Superintendent Salvatore M. Constantino, who earned a salary of $232,085. The Superintendent of Schools for the Mendham Borough School District, Mitzi Morillo follows close behind with a salary of $230,625.

In Chester, the highest earner was Christina Van Woert, the Superintendent of Schools for Chester Township School District. According to reports, Van Woert earned $230,928 last year.

Here are the top earners in Mendham and Chester school administration, along with their current or most recent position and most recent salary. All data comes from the New Jersey Department of Education:

1. Michael Ben-David: Superintendent $254,383
2. Salvatore M. Constantino: Superintendent $232,085
3. Mitzi Morillo: Superintendent $230,625
4. Christina Van Woert: Superintendent $230,928
5. Patrick Ciccone: Mendham Township Middle School Principal $220,885
6. Steve Ryan: West Morris Mendham High School Principal $203,000
7. L. Douglas Pechanec: Secretary to the Board of Education $195,515
8. Timothy Rymer: West Morris Central High School Principal $181,450
9. Toni Liskiewicz: West Morris Central Anti-Bullying Specialist $176,000
10. Edward Braun: Assistant Superintendent at West Morris Regional High School District$174,445
11. Michael Reinknecht: Director of Special Services at West Morris Regional High School District $174,445
12. Melissa Fair: Dickerson Elementary School Principal $172,757
13. Anne Meagher: West Morris Mendham Anti-Bullying Specialist $171,000
14. Tanya Dawson: Chester Township School District Board of Education Business Administrator $165,584
15. Julianne Kotcho: Mendham Township Elementary School Principal $159,430
16. Mohammed Abdelaziz: West Morris Mendham High School $159,110
17. Andrew White: Black River Middle School Principal $156,874
18. Donna Mosner: Business Administrator/Board Secretary at Mendham Township Elementary School $155,800
19. Robert Koroski: Director of Special Services and Programs at Mendham Township Elementary School $155,800
20. Michele Stanton: Bragg Elementary School Principal $153,853
21. Aimee Toth: Mountain View School Principal $152,438

Why NJ School-Administrator Salaries Are Rising

Former Governor Chris Christie imposed a $175,000 salary cap for superintendents in 2011. In 2017, the Christie administration increased the maximum base pay for superintendents to $191,584.

Then, in 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation that repealed the salary cap for superintendents while also establishing 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 five-digit raises last year. But when the position's pay was capped, many districts struggled to maintain experienced superintendents, 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.