The Hamilton public school board’s top administrators enjoyed pay increases more than four times that of their Catholic counterparts in 2018 as the result of different approaches to a court ruling.
The public board’s annual Ontario Public Sector Salary Disclosure filing shows its bill for education director Manny Figueiredo, two associate directors and 10 superintendents jumped by $385,000, to $2.47 million, an increase of 18.4 per cent from 2017.
By contrast, the Catholic board’s spending rose by 4.3 per cent, or $76,282, to $1.85 million for its director, associate director, six superintendents and three assistant superintendents.
Public board chair Alex Johnstone said the board’s bigger increases reflect a 2016 Ontario Superior Court ruling that the previous Liberal government’s Bill 115 violated charter rights by imposing contracts and wage freezes on staff.
A resulting settlement at the public board saw two superintendents get payouts of nearly $75,000 each in 2018, with a third pocketing $55,000.
Johnstone said while some increases reflect movement up an experiential pay grid, the lion’s share are payouts stemming from the court ruling.
She said next year’s disclosure should see board executives fall within a compensation framework that sets a maximum of $241,000 for the education director, $213,000 for associate directors and $185,000 for superintendents.
The Ford government put pay increases scheduled for last fall on hold pending further review.
“We take our fiscal responsibility very seriously and can assure the public that the money spent was done so in line within provincial norms and local scrutiny,” Johnstone said.
Catholic board chair Pat Daly said the more modest pay increases for senior administrators reflects their decision to not pursue settlements from the court ruling.
He said his board, like all others in Ontario, set a compensation framework last year that worked within a maximum overall annual increase of five per cent.
Daly said the plan and ultimate 4.3 per cent overall increase is fair because executives’ pay had been frozen for eight years, unlike at some other boards.
“They had not pursued or raised anything beyond that,” he said of his board's senior bosses, declining to comment on the approach taken elsewhere. “I really do want to commend all of them for their tremendous example and commitment to the system.”
At the public board, Figueiredo’s 7.5 per cent increase was the only one below 10 per cent and raised his pay to $245,416, up by $17,277.
Superintendent Sue Dunlop led all others with a 50.6 per cent increase, boosting her pay by $74,550 to $221,991.
Two other superintendents weren’t far behind. Laura Romano earned $224,468 in 2018, up by $74,193, or 49.6 per cent, while Jamie Nunn’s pay rose by $55,332 to $205,607, an increase of 36.8 per cent.
The Hamilton public school board’s top administrators enjoyed pay increases more than four times that of their Catholic counterparts in 2018 as the result of different approaches to a court ruling.
The public board’s annual Ontario Public Sector Salary Disclosure filing shows its bill for education director Manny Figueiredo, two associate directors and 10 superintendents jumped by $385,000, to $2.47 million, an increase of 18.4 per cent from 2017.
By contrast, the Catholic board’s spending rose by 4.3 per cent, or $76,282, to $1.85 million for its director, associate director, six superintendents and three assistant superintendents.
Public board chair Alex Johnstone said the board’s bigger increases reflect a 2016 Ontario Superior Court ruling that the previous Liberal government’s Bill 115 violated charter rights by imposing contracts and wage freezes on staff.
A resulting settlement at the public board saw two superintendents get payouts of nearly $75,000 each in 2018, with a third pocketing $55,000.
Johnstone said while some increases reflect movement up an experiential pay grid, the lion’s share are payouts stemming from the court ruling.
She said next year’s disclosure should see board executives fall within a compensation framework that sets a maximum of $241,000 for the education director, $213,000 for associate directors and $185,000 for superintendents.
The Ford government put pay increases scheduled for last fall on hold pending further review.
“We take our fiscal responsibility very seriously and can assure the public that the money spent was done so in line within provincial norms and local scrutiny,” Johnstone said.
Catholic board chair Pat Daly said the more modest pay increases for senior administrators reflects their decision to not pursue settlements from the court ruling.
He said his board, like all others in Ontario, set a compensation framework last year that worked within a maximum overall annual increase of five per cent.
Daly said the plan and ultimate 4.3 per cent overall increase is fair because executives’ pay had been frozen for eight years, unlike at some other boards.
“They had not pursued or raised anything beyond that,” he said of his board's senior bosses, declining to comment on the approach taken elsewhere. “I really do want to commend all of them for their tremendous example and commitment to the system.”
At the public board, Figueiredo’s 7.5 per cent increase was the only one below 10 per cent and raised his pay to $245,416, up by $17,277.
Superintendent Sue Dunlop led all others with a 50.6 per cent increase, boosting her pay by $74,550 to $221,991.
Two other superintendents weren’t far behind. Laura Romano earned $224,468 in 2018, up by $74,193, or 49.6 per cent, while Jamie Nunn’s pay rose by $55,332 to $205,607, an increase of 36.8 per cent.
The Hamilton public school board’s top administrators enjoyed pay increases more than four times that of their Catholic counterparts in 2018 as the result of different approaches to a court ruling.
The public board’s annual Ontario Public Sector Salary Disclosure filing shows its bill for education director Manny Figueiredo, two associate directors and 10 superintendents jumped by $385,000, to $2.47 million, an increase of 18.4 per cent from 2017.
By contrast, the Catholic board’s spending rose by 4.3 per cent, or $76,282, to $1.85 million for its director, associate director, six superintendents and three assistant superintendents.
Public board chair Alex Johnstone said the board’s bigger increases reflect a 2016 Ontario Superior Court ruling that the previous Liberal government’s Bill 115 violated charter rights by imposing contracts and wage freezes on staff.
A resulting settlement at the public board saw two superintendents get payouts of nearly $75,000 each in 2018, with a third pocketing $55,000.
Johnstone said while some increases reflect movement up an experiential pay grid, the lion’s share are payouts stemming from the court ruling.
She said next year’s disclosure should see board executives fall within a compensation framework that sets a maximum of $241,000 for the education director, $213,000 for associate directors and $185,000 for superintendents.
The Ford government put pay increases scheduled for last fall on hold pending further review.
“We take our fiscal responsibility very seriously and can assure the public that the money spent was done so in line within provincial norms and local scrutiny,” Johnstone said.
Catholic board chair Pat Daly said the more modest pay increases for senior administrators reflects their decision to not pursue settlements from the court ruling.
He said his board, like all others in Ontario, set a compensation framework last year that worked within a maximum overall annual increase of five per cent.
Daly said the plan and ultimate 4.3 per cent overall increase is fair because executives’ pay had been frozen for eight years, unlike at some other boards.
“They had not pursued or raised anything beyond that,” he said of his board's senior bosses, declining to comment on the approach taken elsewhere. “I really do want to commend all of them for their tremendous example and commitment to the system.”
At the public board, Figueiredo’s 7.5 per cent increase was the only one below 10 per cent and raised his pay to $245,416, up by $17,277.
Superintendent Sue Dunlop led all others with a 50.6 per cent increase, boosting her pay by $74,550 to $221,991.
Two other superintendents weren’t far behind. Laura Romano earned $224,468 in 2018, up by $74,193, or 49.6 per cent, while Jamie Nunn’s pay rose by $55,332 to $205,607, an increase of 36.8 per cent.