Without cap, school superintendent salaries soaring. See the 14 highest paid in NJ

Since the state superintendent salary cap was eliminated three years ago, paychecks for top school administrators have grown significantly, according to state data.

The cap was initially set in 2011 by former governor Chris Christie at $175,000, depending on school district size, and later raised to $191,584. In June 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy removed the cap.

In a 2014 report, the New Jersey School Boards Association identified nearly 100 districts where superintendents left because of the salary cap.

A review of the 2022-2023 certified staffing report from the state Department of Education, acquired by the Asbury Park Press, found that the top four superintendents, each earning more than $300,000, came from charter, vocational or other non-traditional districts.

Overall, 187 of the state’s 504 superintendents now make more than $200,000 per year.

Here are the 14 school districts with the highest-paid superintendents for the 2022-23 school year:

1) Trenton Stem-To-Civics Charter School, Mercer County

Superintendent Leigh Byron: $384,000.

2) Educational Services Commission Of New Jersey, Piscataway

Superintendent Mark Finkelstein: $327,312.

3) Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Paramus.

Superintendent Howard Lerner: $319,134.

4) Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School, Newark.

Superintendent Teresa Segarra: $301,600.

5) Newark Public Schools, Essex County

Superintendent Roger Leon: $299,332.

6) Union City School District, Hudson County

Superintendent Silvia Abbato: $268,666

7) East Brunswick Township School District, Middlesex County

Superintendent Victor Valeski: $268,178.

8) Paterson Public School District, Passaic County

Superintendent Eileen Shafer: $267,900.

9) West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, Mercer County

Superintendent David Aderhold: $262,551.

10) Freehold Regional School District, Monmouth County

Superintendent Charles Sampson: $260,100.

11) Edison Township School District, Middlesex County

Superintendent Bernard Bragen: $259,996.

12) Perth Amboy Public Schools, Middlesex County

Superintendent David Roman: $257,762.

13) New Providence School District, Union County

Superintendent David Miceli: $256,805.

14) Millburn Township Schools, Essex County

Superintendent Christine Burton: $256,778.

Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 30 years’ experience who covers education and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of three books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at jstrupp@gannettnj.com and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter at @joestrupp

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ school superintendents salary; here are the highest paid