How does Morgan Hill Superintendent Alan Nishino’s salary stack
up to superintendent salaries in similar districts?
Morgan Hill
How does Morgan Hill Superintendent Alan Nishino’s salary stack up to superintendent salaries in similar districts?
Nishino was one of nine county superintendents making more than $200,000 in 2006-07, the most recent year data was available. There are 32 districts in Santa Clara County.
During that year, Nishino’s salary was $201,450, the third highest of the six county unified districts. Gilroy’s superintendent was paid $175,000. The average superintendent salary of the six unified districts was $206,404. Nishino began his tenure in Morgan Hill with a base salary of $185,000 in 2005, according to his contract. That base has climbed to $206,080 after receiving merit raises each July.
However, Morgan Hill’s teachers continued to be the second lowest paid of the six unified districts. During the same school year, the average Morgan Hill teacher salary was $63,193. The average Gilroy teacher salary was $62,107. The unified average teacher salary was $67,658.
Morgan Hill principals made an average $40,000 more than their counterparts at the five other county unifieds, according to the data. The average Morgan Hill principal’s salary was $177,124, compared with Palo Alto’s $137,071. Although county data is compiled with information provided by each district, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Jay Totter disputed the county number. Totter pointed out that based on the 2007/08 principal salary schedule, no principal in Morgan Hill could make more than $136,197 last year, let alone the year before.
According to district data from 2006/07, elementary principals made an average $107,856; middle school principals averaged $111,845; and high school principals averaged $130,058. These salaries include benefits, Totter said.
Moody said the board hasn’t looked at the pay rate of the principals as compared to other districts during his tenure.
Federation of Teachers Vice President Theresa Sage said the teachers don’t think principals or administrators should be paid less – but that teachers should be paid more.
One question on many people’s minds is whether or not Nishino will receive, and accept, another 3-percent raise come June, when his review comes up.
Much has been made of Nishino’s six-figure salary – currently his base salary is $206,000 – and the 3-percent merit raise he gets every year with a satisfactory or better performance evaluation. The raise is written into his contract.
For the most part, Nishino declines to speak on the record about his merit raise.
“It’s always a possibility to do things, that things will happen,” was his only comment on the subject.
Trustee Bart Fisher said he hopes Nishino considers foregoing the 3-percent increase this year as a show of solidarity with his team.
“I think that when we’re talking about a time of shared sacrifice and unprecedented cuts, the leadership of the district needs to talk about the type of messages it sends,” Fisher said. “I can see where Nishino says, ‘Look, it’s in my contract, teachers are getting step and column (increases), and if they’re getting that, I should get my contractually set amount.’ But I’m also extremely sympathetic about the counter argument, that that doesn’t show a lot of sympathy for what everyone else is going through.”
However, the argument that teachers get an annual increase too, so why shouldn’t Nishino, doesn’t really hold water for teachers union representatives, who have noted that many teachers who have been with the district for several years get no annual increases. Newer teachers do get about a 4 percent increase every year for nine years. Tenured teachers in the middle of their careers wait three to five years to get an increase, and teachers in the district for 30 years or more will max out with a salary of $83,103.
Ultimately, Fisher said it’s Nishino’s decision to either accept or give up a merit raise, and that it’s one that “the employee groups and community at large are going to judge him on.”
Fisher added that the board does “need to have some talks” about the built-in increase.
When asked whether the board would consider re-opening Nishino’s contract and take away the nearly-automatic increase, Board President Don Moody said he wasn’t sure whether the board has the authority to do so.
“We would have to get some legal advice on that,” Moody said, adding that he didn’t think the majority of the board would support such a move.
As is, so long as Nishino’s review is satisfactory or better, he’ll get it – if he chooses to accept it. Another option would be for Nishino to accept the raise, if only so it’s on paper to boost his retirement benefits, but then turn around and “gift” it back to the district or to a specific program in the district.
If Nishino were to get a satisfactory or better review, his 3-percent increase would amount to $6,182, bringing his base salary to $212,261.
Deputy Superintendent Bonnie Tognazzini said step-and-column increases are already set in the budgeting program the district uses. Since Nishino has gotten the merit raise each year since he started in 2005, the district will again budget for his increase to take place for the 2009/10 school year, Tognazzini said.
Tognazzini, Totter and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Michael Johnson are Nishino’s top officials and referred to collectively as his “cabinet.” Tognazzini, who has worked for the district since 1992, earns a salary of $171,959. Totter and Johnson each earn $142,811. On top of their salaries, each of the four receive a $9,000 benefit package and $5,000 car allowance and degree stipends. Combined, including these add-ons, Nishino and his “cabinet” make more than $720,000.
Nishino is the only district employee whose position is hired and negotiated through the Board of Trustees.
