New York’s most comprehensive online database of state and local government contracts has been updated with the latest employment agreements for school superintendents on SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency website.
At least 165 of the 177 new school superintendent contracts include pay of $100,000 or more and 52 were over $200,000, with school superintendents in Westchester County or Long Island clustered at the top of the list.
Out of SeeThroughNY’s newly posted batch of employment deals, the five highest paid superintendents in 2019-20 were:
Russell Stewart, Smithtown Central School District, $300,000;
Donald James, Commack Union Free School District, $298,574;
Michael Hynes, Port Washington Union Free School District, $290,000;
Thomas Rodgers, Syosset Central School District, $288,879; and
Laura Feijoo, New Rochelle City School District, $285,000.
In other regions of the state, the highest-paid superintendents in the new group of contracts were, in rank order:
Southern Tier: Luvelle Brown, Ithaca City School District, $236,325;
Mohawk Valley: Robert Nole, New Hartford Central Schools, $210,023;
Finger Lakes: Edmund Korsiorek, Hilton Central Schools, $201,571;
Western New York: Michael Vallely, Lancaster Central Schools, $208,958.
Capital Region: D. Joseph Corr, North Colonie Central Schools, $199,614;
Central New York: Casey Burduhn, Westhill Central Schools, $190,123; and
North Country: Thomas Burns, St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, $176,767.
Nearly 8,000 public-sector union and school superintendent employment contracts are now searchable on SeeThroughNY’s contract database, the most comprehensive in the state.
The Empire Center, based in Albany, is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit think tank dedicated to promoting policies to make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, ALBANY, N.Y. — New York households’ estimated annual electricity bills rose by $275, or 11 percent. This was the third-largest dollar increase among the 50 states, behind only Hawaii and New Ham Read More
Six school district educators in the North Country were paid more than $200,000 in fiscal year 2025-26, according to payroll data reported to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS). The highest paid was Indian River CSD Superintendent Troy Decker, at $240,614. Read More
A total of 21 school district educators in the Southern Tier were paid more than $200,000 in fiscal year 2025-26, according to payroll data reported to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS). The highest paid was Ithaca City SD Superintendent Luvelle Brown, at $292,442. Read More
A total of 52 school district educators in the Finger Lakes region were paid more than $200,000 in fiscal year 2025-26, according to payroll data reported to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS). The highest paid was John Abbott, deputy superintendent of East Irondequoit CSD, at $306,144. Read More
A total of 17 school district educators in the Mohawk Valley were paid more than $200,000 in fiscal year 2025-26, according to payroll data reported to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS). The highest paid was Utica City SD Superintendent Christopher Spence, at $281,875. Read More
A total of 36 school district educators in Central New York were paid more than $200,000 in fiscal year 2025-26, according to payroll data reported to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS). The highest paid was East Syracuse Minoa CSD Superintendent Donna Desiato, at $310,881. Read More
A total of 38 school district educators in the Capital Region were paid more than $200,000 in fiscal year 2025-26, according to payroll data reported to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS). The highest paid was South Colonie CSD Superintendent David Perry, at $300,918. Read More
A total of 45 school district educators in Western New York were paid more than $200,000 in fiscal year 2025-26, according to payroll data reported to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS). The highest paid was Sean Croft, former superintendent of Starpoint CSD, at $315,619. Read More