Paid A Pretty Penny

It's probably not surprising Jamestown Public Schools, with more than 5,000 students districtwide, has the highest-paid superintendent in the area.

What might be surprising is who follows closest behind.

Business First has released its list of the 200 highest administrative base salaries in Western New York school districts. Jamestown Public Schools Superintendent Daniel ''Deke'' Kathman makes $159,000 in the 2008-09 school year. Three other administrative salaries at JPS also crack the Business First top 200 - Dale Weatherlow, assistant superintendent for administration, made $122,215; Joe Yelich, high school principal, made $120,078; and the district's assistant superintendent for instruction position, formerly held by Kathman and unfilled this year, was allocated $122,709.

The average superintendent salary in Western New York for school districts with enrollments of more than 5,000 is $173,680, putting Kathman's salary below average.

According to Business First's release, the largest paychecks go to superintendents at high-profile districts - such as Jamestown - and to those with extensive seniority.

It is the latter that helps place Al D'Attilio of Bemus Point Central School at second in the area and 22nd overall in Western New York with a base salary of $154,039 in 2008-09. D'Attilio has served as Bemus Point's superintendent for 23 years, placing his salary far above what one might expect for a superintendent of a district with approximately 800 students.

Other area superintendents whose salaries are in the top half of Business First's Top 200 are Paul DiFonzo at Fredonia ($134,550, 58th highest salary), Jon Peterson at Cattaraugus-Little Valley and Daniel George at Southwestern ($130,000 each, 69th highest salary), Doug Hay at Salamanca ($127,575, 83rd highest salary), and Gary Cerne at Dunkirk ($124,000, 98th highest salary).

While many principals, assistant superintendents, department directors and other administrators crack the Top 200 from Erie and Niagara county schools, Jamestown is the only school with non-superintendents in the Top 200, which bottoms out at a yearly base salary of $110,000. All area superintendents with the exception of Randolph's Kim Moritz and Forestville's John O'Connor made the Top 200 in 2008-09.

Member Comments

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hoser48
06-02-09 10:54 PM »Report Abuse	Looks like some of these posters didn't finish high school English.
march80
06-02-09 10:02 PM »Report Abuse	look who's calling idiots, it wants again show that we as tax payers let this happen we should demand it by the state that this needs to be changed. Whenever you let it up to the locals it will fail again and again because, I don't want my little Sally going to another "school" in a whole new community she will not have a chance to make the team. Enough is enough we need the state to decide this. In regards to Chautauqua Lake the whole thing should looked into. Prior to building the school I told their residence be prepared for the long run (taxes) and they were told that this whole proposal wasn't going to cost the local tax payers, the state was going to take care of this. Who heck is the state, the last time I new was if you lived in the state then I believe you are the state and guess what I live in Jamestown and in a around about way we are paying for this.
SammyBrown
06-02-09 9:08 PM »Report Abuse	As always I read the ciomments from a bunch of nameless idiots. Ripley has been trying for years to merge with anyone and noone wants them. Other small school districts have tried mergers but the communities have said no. Only if and when the State forces the districts to combine will the mergers happen, AND Don't expect to save money look at Chautauqua LAke merger. It has costed more jointly than either school separately would have. And as long as the state keeps giving they take. and the students are not doing any better for the $$$ spent thane even Jamestown.
Dark77
06-02-09 4:49 PM »Report Abuse	If they would start by merging all the sports team it would lead to mergers. It has happened in certain sports and could save hundreds of thousands if they were all combined. Panama, Sherman and Clymer all have one varsity team for each sport.
Dark77
06-02-09 4:40 PM »Report Abuse	Julie the state department of education requires the Master's degree, not the teachers union just getting the facts straight.
march80
06-02-09 2:27 PM »Report Abuse	I agree with JulieB, we still need to share services in school aadministration. We need to merge smaller schools. Sherman needs to merge with Panama and Clymer. Frewsburg needs to merge with Falconer and Randolph etc. If you start pulling a little from and there by the time you get done you may be able to eliminate 6 school districts and make one county district. Imagine how much you will save if you ONLY have ONE superintentendent. (Maybe this is to simple for the 8 to 10 graduate to figure out)
JulieB
06-02-09 1:53 PM »Report Abuse	Teacher's should not "need" a master's degree. NY teacher's union requires it so they can get higher wages. A master's degree does not make them a better teacher. Either you are a good one or uou are not.
madman
06-02-09 1:19 PM »Report Abuse	Unfortunately, the student results (mainly grades) do not reflect the salaries of the teachers..I don't see grades in Jamestown going up??...ever sit in on a board of ed meeting at Jefferson??..I have many times...and I find them to be a complete joke...including the board members themselves...I really don't think tax payers get the best bang for their buck...sorry
Rosebud
06-02-09 11:39 AM »Report Abuse	How much are the kids really benefiting from these high paid supervisors ??? Is it making them any smarter ?? I don't think so. I think they should be paid "Piece" work. How many kids graduate ??? If I can't afford to but nice cloths for my children, because my taxes are so high, what good is that ?? What about food on the table ?? I'd like to have "Prime Rib" too.
danman
06-02-09 9:57 AM »Report Abuse	I agree with March80. The thing that superintendents can do best is spend, spend, spend, and remember it is all 'for the children'. Currently the cost per student per year is around $20,000. New York State spends more money per student than any other state. If it continues, there will not be anyone left. Where will the teachers and administrators be then?
march80
06-02-09 9:42 AM »Report Abuse	In regards to Jtowner, explain what is 8-10yrs, all I believe it is, is big dollars for the colleges. In my profession we need 6-8 and we have a lot of liability, what is their liability. 60+ hours, that is nothing for $171K I think they need to spend more time because they still haven't figured out how to same millions.
ru4real
06-02-09 7:19 AM »Report Abuse	the average income in Chautauqua is 27,500 and this is how most politicians justified high wages
yankee
06-02-09 5:04 AM »Report Abuse	Does anybody care whether we attract good qualified leadership in our schools?? Pay 'em more with all the delinquents they have to deal with. Jtowner45 makes a good point.......
Jtowner45
06-01-09 8:10 PM »Report Abuse	Apparently people forget that these administrators have 8-10 years of college education. Many work 60+ hours a week. The amount teachers make alone for 6 years of required education is ridiculous..... Why should it matter where administrators live? Shouldn't we be looking for the best teachers/administrators in the area, not just because they live in the community that they would like to work in.
Overdrive
06-01-09 8:03 PM »Report Abuse	These amounts are ridiculous for this area!
hoser48
06-01-09 7:42 PM »Report Abuse	If asked for volunteers to set salaries for every job in Chaut Co., I'd be willing to bet that 95% of the public would apply for the job.
EastCoastLivin
06-01-09 6:50 PM »Report Abuse	the JHS principal makes 120K???? what a joke.....i would have guessed in the 80-90k range...just another thing wrong with this town..
danman
06-01-09 3:19 PM »Report Abuse	Great point madman. Supervisor salaries are beyond ridiculous, eighteen school district for a population of 130,000 is beyond ridiculous, and education spending in general is unconscionable! But ask any supervisor or anyone from the teacher's union and they will tell you in a condescending voice that it is all what is best for the children! Yes, 'kids come first' actually means, keep those salaries and benefits ever increasing for the supervisors, school employees, and teachers. Some teachers make more than $85,000 in these small rural schools with supervisors at $125,000 plus benefits. Average household income in some of these rural areas is around $35,000. How long can those salaries be sustained?
madman
06-01-09 12:58 PM »Report Abuse	Isn't it funny...alot of people complain about what the mayor makes $72K...but don't hear much complaining about what the principal and asst superindent make...almost 70% more than the mayor, who is responsible for a whole town...these salaries are crazy
maximo
06-01-09 12:50 PM »Report Abuse	I would like to know if Dale Weatherlow, assistant superintendent for administration, making $122,215; and Joe Yelich, high school principal, making $120,078 reside in the community and pay local taxes and if they are not, why?

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