9 Princeton Superintendents, Principals Earn Over $150K

PRINCETON, NJ — Some of the highest paid superintendents and principals in New Jersey work in Princeton. Nine superintendents and principals in Princeton are among 1,500 in New Jersey to have made $150,000 or more in 2019, according to the New Jersey Department of Education.

The Department of Education recently released its annual list of superintendents and principals and their salaries before the start of the 2019-20 school year. And the list of educators making $150,000 or more — a list that barely had any educators on it two decades ago — has grown in recent years.

It's also a small fraction of the more than 100,000 people who are teachers and administrators in public and charter schools in this state.

In Mercer County, Thomas Smith, Superintendent of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District was the highest paid and ranked at number 56 in the state. He has 30 years and makes $204,324. Ewing Township followed with Michael Nitti, Superintendent of Ewing Township Schools ranked at number 57 in the state, has 28 year of service and makes $204,300.

Here are the top principals and superintendents in Princeton, where they rank in the state, position, their years of service (which is surely a factor in their pay) and, finally, their salaries:

Superintendents:

• 64. STEPHEN COCHRANE, Superintendent, 28, $200,516
• 80. STEPHANIE KENNEDY-SCHOENLEBER, District Office, 27, $198,533
• 162. LEWIS GOLDSTEIN, District Office, 26, $189,949
• 163. ANNIE KOSEK, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction, 25, $189,866

Principals:

• 6. GARY SNYDER, Princeton High School, 32, $203,687
• 8. ROBERT GINSBERG, Johnson Park School Principal, 41, $202,234
• 101. JASON BURR, John Witherspoon Middle School Principal, 22, $174,868
• 153. LYNNE HARKNESS, John Witherspoon Middle School Assistant Principal, 30, $171,835
• 257. DINEEN GRUCHACZ, Community Park School Principal, 19, $165,336

Those who earn under 150K:

• ANGELA SISO STENTZ, Princeton High School, 18, $146, 587
• LUIS RAMIREZ, Littlebrook School, 17, $143,682
• JOHN MARK SHELLEY, Riverside School, 2, $138,000
• JESSICA BAXTER, Princeton High School, 15, $130,673
• JARED WARREN, Princeton High School, 14, $122,927

In 2018-2019, the median salary for administrators $123,923, according to a Patch analysis of salary data for public school districts and charter schools. The increase was less than 1 percent above the previous year's median salary.

The Department of Education has said the department double-checks the data before delivering it to the media.

To view the entire statewide list click here.

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