Twenty-two retired school administrators from Westchester and Rockland counties have pensions that are in the top 100 among school retirees in the state, according to a new report.

The local list includes six retirees with pensions topping $200,000, led by the $213,052 annual payout to Phyllis Glassman, who stepped down last year as superintendent of Ossining schools.

The data comes after the state Court of Appeals ruled last week that pension systems in New York must release the names and details of its pensioners. The state Teachers’ Retirement System, as well as New York City pension funds, had refused to release the information because lower court rulings hadn’t required it to be made public.

The lawsuit that led to the ruling was brought by the Empire Center for Public Policy. The think tank received the information this week and posted it on its website,www.SeeThroughNY.net.

The Top 100 is dominated by retirees from Long Island school districts. The highest pension in the state belongs to James Felton, retired Commack schools chief, whose $325,854 payout is one of three topping $300,000. Another belongs to his predecessor in Commack, James Hunderfund, who returned to work as Malverne superintendent and now has a combined income of $551,000, including his salary and pension.

Nineteen of the top 20 pensions belong to school retirees from Nassau and Suffolk counties. Glassman’s pension ranks 21st in the state.

Other retired superintendents with pensions topping $200,000 in the Lower Hudson Valley include Frank Auriemma, Pearl River ($211,650); Dodge Watkins, Haverstraw-Stony Point ($206,186); Robert Lichtenfeld, Katonah-Lewisboro ($205,255); Paul Fried, Mamaroneck ($201,767); and Kenneth Connolly, Lakeland ($200,163).

Many of those on the list have gone on to other jobs, some returning to the public sector in New York and other states.

Lichtenfeld is the director of human resources for Greenwich, Connecticut, schools. Fried’s combined income tops $432,000 counting his pension and salary as superintendent of Montville, New Jersey, schools. Daniel McCann, who retired in 2012 as superintendent of Hendrick Hudson schools, has a combined income of over $300,000, including his $172,000 pension and his salary as principal at Pleasantville High School.

The average pension for 2,421 retired educators between 2011 and 2013 with at least 35 years of service credit came to $82,947 a year, according to the Empire Center report.

Between 2011 and 2013, 657 new retirees were eligible for pensions of $100,000 or more, bringing the total number of six-figure pensioners in the Teachers’ Retirement System to 2,310. The average annual benefit for all 14,484 newly retired educators, including part-timers, was $47,024 based on an average 26 years of service.

Westchester and Rockland retired school administrators among top state school pensioners (Number is state rank)

21. Phyllis Glassman, Ossining, $213,052

22. Frank Auriemma, Pearl River, $211,650

25. Dodge Watkins, Haverstraw-Stony Point, $206,186

27. Robert Lichtenfeld, Katonah-Lewisboro, $205,255

32. Paul Fried, Mamaroneck, $201,767

34. Kenneth Connolly, Lakeland, $200,163

35. Joanne Marien, Somers, $199,023

39. Marjorie Castro, Croton Harmon, $196,365

43. Bruce Dennis, Bedford, $193,323

52. John Chambers, Byram Hills, $187,654

56. Donald Antonecchia, Pleasantville, $186,765

57. Richard Maurer, Ardsley, $186,726

58. Norman Freimark, Mount Pleasant Cottage, $186,273

59. Jacquelyn Taylor, Byram Hills, $186,085

60. Robert Pauline, Elmsford, $185,411

62. Ronald Smalls, Greenburgh, $182,220

65. Jason Friedman, East Ramapo, $181,494

76. Wilson Watkins, Briarcliff, $173,384

77. Daniel McCann, Hendrick Hudson, $172,679

80. Linda Kelly Fauci, New Rochelle, $171,730

95. Sandra Mallah, Greenburgh 11, $168,075

98. William Harrell, New Rochelle, $166,968

 © 2014 Gannett News Service

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