(The Center Square) - The average salary for directors and supervisor within Washington’s K-12 education system have increased by more than a third in just five years, according to state fiscal data analyzed by The Center Square.
“What we’re seeing is the growth of admin in general,” Washington Policy Center for Education Director Vicki Murray told The Center Square. “That’s just been a trend, multidecade trend, and It’s intensifying.”
The data shows that average director or supervisor salaries increased by $20,501 or 33.7% since 2020-21. However, superintendents saw a larger average salary increase dollar-wise, at $23,836 since 2021.
The average director or supervisor was paid $60,912 in the 2020-21 time period, which increased to $81,413 by 2024-25. Meanwhile, the average superintendent salary increased from $96,615 to $120,450.
The Center Square analysis examined the top salaries for the following positions:
Two of these roles experienced significant salary increases after 2020-21; directors or supervisors had an average salary increase of 9.59% from 2020-21 to 2021-22, the highest of the four roles analyzed. That role also experienced, on average, a 9.17% increase between 2021-2022 to 2023-24. Superintendents had the second highest salary increase, at an average increase of 8.60% between 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Elementary/middle school and high school principals got an average salary increase of 5.30% and 5.43% respectively between 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Murray said that directors and supervisors have taken on a larger role in the K-12 system due to federal mandates and other compliances.
“Even with the rollback with the Department of Education you have federal grant funding," she said. "They have to be overseen. On the other hand, Olympia is taking a really more direct role in local school board policies.
“I don’t necessarily mind that you get great superintendents,” she added. “When you get great leadership, everything falls into place. When it comes to education, the salaries to me is secondary. We want to get value. Are we getting value for what we’re spending?”
The analysis also found that the Tacoma School District is heavily represented among the top highest-paid directors/supervisors and principals, with 6 of the top 10 elementary principals and 5 of the top 10 secondary principals working in the school district.
Top 10 Director/Supervisor Salaries for the 2024-25 fiscal year were:
Rank | Name | District | Salary |
1 | Christopher Williams | Tacoma | $322,723 |
2 | Shane Backlund | ESD 105 – Yakima | $322,624 |
3 | Rosalind Medina | Tacoma | $317,464 |
4 | Allen Miedema | Northshore | $310,510 |
5 | Fred Podesta | Seattle | $289,385 |
6 | Morris Aldridge | Tacoma | $285,258 |
7 | Steven Deaderick | Tacoma | $284,658 |
8 | Ernest Goody | Tacoma | $279,565 |
9 | Kurt Buttleman | Seattle | $275,616 |
10 | Carlos Del Valle | Seattle | $275,616 |
The top 10 Elementary Principal Salaries were:
Rank | Name | District | Salary |
1 | Kecia Keller | Tacoma | $276,277 |
2 | Guy Kovacs | Tacoma | $269,262 |
3 | Tracy Allen | Tacoma | $265,977 |
4 | Miles Erdly | Kent | $257,886 |
5 | Janet Gates-Cortez | Tacoma | $257,382 |
6 | Sharon Tsuneishi | Tacoma | $255,403 |
7 | Timothy Enfield | Franklin Pierce | $252,766 |
8 | Lauren Bradley | Evergreen (Clark) | $250,699 |
9 | Eric Molver | Puyallup | $246,949 |
10 | Katharine Geiss | Kent | $245,587 |
The Top 10 Secondary Principal Salaries were:
Rank | Name | District | Salary |
1 | David Goodwin | South Kitsap | $278,126 |
2 | Kelly Clapp | Lake Washington | $272,095 |
3 | Casey Cox | Tacoma | $271,155 |
4 | Carolyn Watkins | Clover Park | $270,184 |
5 | Jeffry Gardner | Auburn | $266,909 |
6 | Bernadette Ray | Tacoma | $266,342 |
7 | Karl Hoseth | Tacoma | $261,951 |
8 | Shannon Marshall | Tacoma | $259,539 |
9 | Brenda Conrad | Snohomish | $251,709 |
10 | Shaun Martin | Tacoma | $251,660 |
The top 10 Superintendent Salaries were:
Rank | Name | District | Salary |
1 | Damien Pattenaude | Renton | $466,481 |
2 | Michael Tolley | Northshore | $460,490 |
3 | Jonathon Holmen | Lake Washington | $459,633 |
4 | Heather Tow-Yick | Issaquah | $424,081 |
5 | Jeffrey Snell | Vancouver | $412,544 |
6 | Laurie Dent | Sumner | $411,152 |
7 | Alison Brynelson | Mukilteo | $409,345 |
8 | Israel Vela | Kent | $403,266 |
9 | Joshua Garcia | Tacoma | $403,217 |
10 | Alan Spicciati | Auburn | $400,561 |
Originally published on thecentersquare.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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