West Hartford BoE OK's Administrator Pay Hikes

WEST HARTFORD, CT — School system administrators will get pay increases for the next three years following the West Hartford Board of Education's ratification of a new three-year labor pact.

The board voted unanimously Oct. 18 to approve the contract a day after the union representing administrators struck a deal with the school board's negotiating group.

The contract is for the three-year period starting in 2023-24 and includes pay hikes each year until 2025-26.

According to the deal, administrators will move up a step and receive a 2.75 percent pay raise next school year, with 2.5 percent raises the next year and for the final year of the contract.

The contract covers principals, assistant principals, athletic directors, pupil services chiefs, department supervisors and other administrators.

Depending on the role, administrators currently earn $126,305 for a first-step athletic director/department supervisor to $179,095 for a fifth-step high school principal.

Steps are based on experience, with the more experienced staffers being on a higher step.

In addition, members of the West Hartford Board of Education Administrators Association will receive $250 increases to their annuity set aside for them each contract year, according to the pact.

Currently, principals have $4,550 a year set aside or annuities, assistant principals $4,050 and department supervisors/athletic directors have $3,350 set aside.

School officials heaped praise on the leaders charged with administering the day-to-day operations at West Hartford's 16 schools, including three middle schools and two high schools.

"This is a group of approximately 50 extremely dedicated and highly skilled educational leaders that work tirelessly to ensure the various needs of all students, families and staff are met each and every day," West Hartford School System Executive Director of Human Resources Julio Duarte said.

Duarte alluded to many modern-day challenges of operating a school, which come during a time where safety is a necessity due to the pandemic as well as exterior safety threats.

"They have consistently shown a willingness to change direction at a moment's notice and to do whatever needs to be done to ensure both student and staff safety," Duarte said.

School board members said these raises fit in with long-range budget planning.

"It is most definitely within the thresholds of the budget anticipated and it also meets the needs of our administrators," said school board member Jason O. Chang, who was part of the board of education team that negotiated with administrators.

To watch the Oct. 18 West Hartford Board of Education meeting, click on this link.

To see a summary of the contract, click on this link.