Administrative changes in School District 43's board office last year resulted in eight people in executive positions getting more than $1.1 million in compensation according to a report by the Public Sector Employees' Council (PSEC) made public recently.
Each year PSEC reports on the salaries paid to administrators for each district and in 2011-2012 there were eight administrators on the payroll, but two received only partial payment for the year because they were new appointments, another was paid for part of the year because they left the district and one received salary and a retirement allowance because he retired during the year.
Currently, SD43 has six administrators.
The revolving door makes it difficult to compare salaries with other administrators in other districts with similar duties.
However, when it comes to superintendents, Tom Grant's salary is in the middle of the pack. In 2011-2012, Grant was paid $229,208 including pension and other benefit premiums and a vehicle allowance. That's less than the top-ranked Surrey superintendent Mike McKay who was paid $269,982 for helming B.C.'s largest school district with 69,461 students.
In comparison, 30,000 students attend schools in SD43.
Compensation, including salaries and benefits, was paid to the following assistant superintendents: Sylvia Russell $171,445, Julie Pearce, $174,593, Maureen Dockendorf (now B.C.'s superintendent of Reading) $86,959, Patricia Gartland $85,922, Carey Chute $27,661.
Dan Derpak, who retired that year, received $204,764, including $104,039 in salary and $42,683 in sick leave/service recognition.
Meanwhile, Rick Humphreys, who was in charge of the district's finances when a $7.5 million deficit was discovered, and resigned at the beginning of January citing personal and medical reasons, was paid $170,380 in 2011-2012.
HOW THEY RANK
Ten largest B.C. school districts ranked by size of student population as of the 2011/12 school year (numbers from the ministry of education):
1. Surrey (69,461)
2. Vancouver (58,003)
3. Coquitlam (33,611)
4. Burnaby (25,538)
5. Richmond (22,479)
6. Central Okanagan (21,559)
7. Greater Victoria (19,877)
8. Langley (19,603)
9. Abbotsford (19,401)
10. Delta (16,352)
Top 10 districts ranked by amount paid to superintendents:
1. Surrey: $269,982
2. North Van: $245,191
3. Vancouver: $241,724
4. Greater Victoria: $236,510
5. Coquitlam: $229,208
6. Delta: $225,202
7. Richmond: $212,613
8. West Van: $210,952
9. Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows: $209,518
10. Abbotsford: $200,155
