Westfield Superintendent's New 5-Year Contract Approved

WESTFIELD, NJ — A new contract was approved for Superintendent Dr. Raymond González to continue serving the Westfield School District for five more years.

The Westfield Board of Education approved González's new contract at the Aug.27 meeting with only Julie Steinberg abstaining.

González was initially appointed in May 2021 with a starting salary of $231,540 for the 2021-2022 school year. Under his current contract(which was set to expire on June 30, 2026), he was set to receive a salary of $245,712 for the 2024-25 school year.

Under the renegotiated five-year contract, which took effect on July 1, González's salary would increase to $260,000 for the 2024-25 school year. His new contract is set to expire on June 30, 2029.

The salary breakdown for González's renegotiated contract over the next five years includes:

• 2024-25: $260,000
• 2025-26: $267,540
• 2026-27: $275,299
• 2027-28: $283,282
• 2028-29: $291,498

"I would like to express my full support for the renegotiation of Dr. González's contract given the significant changes our district needs to evolve over the next few years including curriculum updates, budget constraints, and a referendum for a full-day kindergarten," said Board Vice President Sonal Patel. "It's essential to evaluate the superintendent’s performance to ensure his compensation aligns with the evolving needs of our community."

Board President Robert Benacchio said is was "largely a mutual decision to revisit Dr. González's contract and the main reason is because of all that we have going on in our district coming up."

"We have a larger referendum coming up in our district. There have been a lot of changes already that have set our district just steps ahead, leaps ahead, from where we were just a few years ago when we started," said Benacchio. "It was a very easy negotiation. Dr. González I can tell you is committed to this district - as we are to keeping him here."

González thanked the Board of Education for their support and for entertaining the opportunity to renegotiate his contract.

"I recognize that a lot has taken place over the last three years, really to set us up for an amazing five years ahead. I wanted to be sure the district was aware of my commitment, hence the reason why I sought to renegotiate for a new contract," said González. "With that in mind, I am motivated to continue the hard work that brought us to where we are today. And excited by the prospect of what is ahead."

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