School District 48's (SD48) six executive-level employees earned almost $1.3 million between them for the 2022-23 school year, as revealed by draft executive compensation disclosures required for transparency by the province.
The compensation rates were detailed to the district's finance committee on Oct. 11 by secretary-treasurer Danielle Haverstock—whose wage is among the six required to be disclosed.
According to Haverstock, the executive compensation report has been reviewed by the British Columbia Public Sector Employers' Association (BCPSEA), which sets guidelines for compensation, and is being reviewed by the Public Sector Employers' Council Secretariat (PSCS), meaning the SD48 report remains in draft form for now. Salary increases for exempt staff cannot proceed without the approval of the BCPSEA.
Besides Haverstock, the report detailed compensation for the superintendent, assistant superintendent, and the three directors of instruction employed by the district. Each executive-level employee earned a salary increase based on performance.
Supt. Christopher Nicholson took home a base salary of $211,860, which was bumped up by 7% from the 2021-22 school year. Adding in benefits, his pension and other compensation (which in this case included a $6,000 vehicle allowance and a $6,081 vacation payout), Nicholson's total compensation was $263,658 for 2022-23. In the 2021-22 year, Nicholson's total compensation was $229,239.
The superintendent is the top-paid employee of each school district, with Nicholson's responsibilities spanning SD48's 15 schools from Squamish to Pemberton.
Assistant superintendent Paul Lorette received a base salary of $187,341, up 5% based on performance, with an additional 1% increase from Jan. 1 due to extraordinary performance.
Haverstock's salary increase was unique among the six, as it had to be increased beyond the standard recommended 5% performance-based increase to fall within BCPSEA guidelines for executive-level wages, requiring another 2.9% performance-based increase from Jan. 1.
For the three directors of instruction, Phillip Clarke and David Dunkin both received a salary of $164,859, while Kim Sadhra received a salary of $159,075. All three received the recommended 5% increase.
While the executive salary increases are still under review by the PSCS, they are expected to be finalized and posted to the SD48 website by Oct. 27.
A complete disclosure of SD48 finances and all staff compensation will be detailed in the 22-23 Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) report, which is released within six months of the end of the school district's financial year.
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