One county school superintendent could see a pay cut if Cuomo's cap proposal goes through
Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to cap the annual salaries of school district superintendents and if his proposal goes through, one Genesee County superintendent could see a nearly $90,000 cut in pay.
Under the cap plan, all of the other county superintendents are earning less than what Gov. Cuomo's plan says they could earn.
Currently, the highest paid school superintendent in the county is Pembroke's Gary Mix. He earns $232,307 per year.
For a school district the size of Pembroke's, according to Cuomo, Mix's pay should be capped at $145,000.
WBTA's Geoff Redick spoke with Mix.
"I understand that the governor is politically ambitious," says Mix. "He's picked a group of people -- the 700 superintendents in New York -- that in many communities, particularly in small communities, they can often be among the more highly compensated people in the community."
Mix says he grew up the oldest of eight children. His father was a postal worker who also took many odd jobs to support his large family.
So, "I understand the feelings about other people's compensation and benefits," says Mix. "(But) education is crucial, it's important. I hope we truly value it."
On the other end of the spectrum, Elba's Jerome Piwko might want to ask for a raise. He's making only $81,120. While Elba's student population is a rather small 494, Cuomo's plan says Piwko could have his pay capped at $135,000.
That puts Piwko's pay nearly $55,000 under Cuomo's proposed pay scale. That's the largest disparity between Cuomo's cap proposal and what a current Genesee county superintendent is earning.
For the rest of Geoff's story, click here.