Edison, Metuchen Schools Superintendents, Principals Earn Over $150K

EDISON, NJ — Superintendent and principal salaries have increased state-wide, and according to data from the New Jersey Department of Education, superintendents, principals and administrators in Edison and Metuchen made $150,000 or more in salaries last year.

More than 2,500 educational administrators in the state earned $150,000 or more during the previous school year, according to the recently-released data. That kind of pay is becoming more common for New Jersey school administrators.

Former Gov. Chris Christie implemented a $175,000 cap for superintendents in 2011. The Christie administration raised their maximum base pay to $191,584 in 2017. But Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law in 2019 that eliminates the cap for superintendent salaries but set guidelines for school-executive contracts to limit or standardize bonuses and other perks.

The list below contains the administrators, along with their school, years of service, and their salaries from this past school year:

Edison:

• BERNARD BRAGEN, District Office, Edison Township School District, 1, $254,898
• GAIL PAWLIKOWSKI, District Office, Edison Township School District, 15, $208,794
• ANTHONY SHALLOP, John P. Stevens High School, Edison Township School District, 10, $198,029
• CHARLES ROSS, Edison High School, Edison Township School District, 11, $188,854
• XAVIER FITZGERALD, Edison Middle School, West Orange Public Schools, 16, $188,440
• JOAN VALENTINE, John Adams Middle School, Edison Township School District, 13, $187,226
• EDWARD ALDARELLI, District Office, Edison Township School District, 0, $183,750
• BRIAN MCGRATH, Herbert Hoover Middle School, Edison Township School District, 10, $181,521
• ANTOINETTE EMDEN, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Edison Township School District, 16, $180,869
• JENNIFER BLEVINS, Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Edison Township School District, 5, $178,603
• STEVEN PREVILLE, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 25, $178,267
• BANINDER MAHABIR, District Office, Edison Township School District, 3, $174,961
• SHAWN SCULLY, Lincoln Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 17, $174,433
• MICHAEL DUGGAN, Menlo Park Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 14, $173,409
• NICOLE CIRILLO, Woodbrook Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 13, $171,527
• KELLY ANN RAPPA, Herbert Hoover Middle School, Edison Township School District, 17, $171,211
• SANDRA SCHLATTER, Washington Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 8, $170,297
• AMI HOFFMAN, John Marshall Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 9, $171,143
• JOHAN ROJAS, Lindeneau Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 3, $170,056
• MATTHEW BOLTON, Thomas Edison Intermediate School, Westfield Public School District, 15, $169,693
• REGINA PAPARSENOS, Martin Luther King Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 5, $169,261
• THOMAS TOOHEY, District Office, Edison Township School District$168,000
• MEREDITH QUICK, John P. Stevens High School, Edison Township School District, 10, $166,965
• DANIEL KELLY, John Adams Middle School, Edison Township School District, 16, $166,736
• KENNETH SAGGESE, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Edison Township School District, 14, $166,736
• CYNTHIA TUFARO, James Monroe Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 8, $163,679
• DONNA ABATEMARCO, James Madison Intermediate School, Edison Township School District, 8, $162,643
• MICHAEL SEILER, James Madison Primary School, Edison Township School District, 5, $160,995
• CATHERINE SWAYZE, Edison Early Learning Center, Edison Township School District, 16, $160,579
• APRIL EYLER, John P. Stevens High School, Edison Township School District, 18, $160,367
• OJAS RAY, John P. Stevens High School, Edison Township School District, 3, $160,367
• JOSEPH FERRARA, Edison High School, Edison Township School District, 11, $160,347
• NICOLE HIMMELSTEIN, Edison High School, Edison Township School District, 6, $159,311
• AURORA LOUFEK, Edison High School, Edison Township School District, 8, $159,311
• NICHOLAS ZECCHINO, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Edison Township School District, 2, $157,026
• TONI DIFAZIO, James Madison Intermediate School, Edison Township School District, 4, $156,665
• ROBERT ROBINSON, John P. Stevens High School, Edison Township School District, 2, $153,749
• MARGARET CALLAHAN, James Monroe Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 1, $152,751
• TRUC-LAN VU, Washington Elementary School, Edison Township School District, 0, $152,751
• KENNETH BLEKESKI, John Adams Middle School, Edison Township School District, 2, $150,408
• RENU MENDIRATTA, Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Edison Township School District, 2, $150,408
• BRIAN MIRFIELD, James Madison Intermediate School, Edison Township School District, 2, $150,047

Metuchen:

• VINCENT CAPUTO, District Office, Metuchen Public School District, 30, $193,783
• MICHAEL HARVIER, District Office, Metuchen Public School District, 23, $182,200
• RICHARD COHEN, District Office, Metuchen Public School District, 17, $167,380
• TANIA HERZOG, District Office, Metuchen Public School District, 19, $160,580

(With reporting from Josh Bakan, Patch Staff)

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