PORT ANGELES – The Port Angeles School Board has approved a new three-year contract for Superintendent Gary Cohn that includes a raise of about $10,000 a year.
Cohn was making about $121,000 a year and the increase will bump him up to about $131,000, beginning in September.
The board chose to approve the raise on Monday – despite budget cuts and closing two schools in the past several years – to boost the superintendent salary to be on a par with other districts of similar size statewide, said Charlie McClain, board president on Tuesday.
“It was the right thing to do,” McClain said.
McClain said the board wanted to retain Cohn – who was a finalist earlier this year for superintendent positions at Bellingham and Issaquah school districts.
“We looked at his salary in comparison to other school districts of similar size and found out that his was dead last in terms of compensation.
“It wasn’t a matter of overpayment.
“It was a matter of comparing what we consider an excellent superintendent with what compensation was available at other districts.”
The raise will put him at about the middle of what other superintendents at other districts of similar size in the state are making, McClain said.
“There is no reason we should treat him differently than any other staff in the district,” McClain said.
“We try and make sure all staff are about equal to the average wage that they would receive in similar size districts.”
The contract is for the maximum amount of time allowed by state law, McClain said.
Cohn was not selected for the Issaquah position and withdrew his application for the Bellingham job.
“The board did an analysis of the salaries and it has been their long-standing policy to pay middle of the market,” Cohn said.
“They did that this time for me.
“All the staff – as I am – are appreciative of that policy.”
The board also agreed to add a 6 percent annual compensation into his 403-B retirement fund.
He had received no contribution from the district previously.
The decision was made after the board returned from executive session to discuss Cohn’s performance.
The board also approved raises for administrators district-wide, but they are done according to a formula which provides raises based on the number of years of service to the district, McClain said.
