By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: March. 17, 2012
As many as 22 people working at SD 48 made more than $100,000 in annual salaries last year, the Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) released by the school board reveals.
John Hetherington, the secretary treasurer, took home the biggest pay cheque of $153, 592, about $20,000 more than what he made in 2010.
Closely following him was the school superintendent Rick Erickson, who made $143, 129 in 2011.
Rick Erickson was also paid $5,808 for car allowance and mileage, while Hetherington billed $2,709 of computer costs.
Rose Mackenzie occupied the third spot on the list with a salary of $119,476.
SD 48 has recently hired Lisa McCullough as the school superintendent. Rick Price, the school board trustee, didn’t say how much she made.
As far as school board trustees are concerned, Laura Godfrey billed the school district $6,0760 in expenses, the highest when compared to any other school board trustees.
Rick Hume, Ralph Hughes, Ryan Massey, Christine Perkins, Margaret Paxton, Margaret Odorfor, Angela Uren, Seb Amenta were some of the administrative officers and senior school teachers that made over $100,000.
School boards have the authority to set salaries for school superintendents as they deem fit.
Across British Columbia, Surrey school superintendent was paid the heftiest pay package of $257, 895.
Top 11 ranked by amount paid to superintendents in B.C.
1. Surrey $257,895.13
2. North Vancouver $245,891
3. Vancouver $239,157.39
4. Greater Victoria $233,042
5. Coquitlam $222,738
6. Maple Ridge $212,051.60
7. Central Okanagan $201,340
8. Mission $200,210
9. Burnaby $199,649
10. Langley $198,503
11. Abbotsford $194,176
Boyd Godfrey says
Mr. Ghuman, you really should check your facts before publication.
Gagandeep Ghuman, Editor, Squamish Reporter says
Two corrections to this story: The figures for Rick Price and John Hetherington are from the Public Sector Executive Compensation Report (PSECR) which is a document prepared on a different basis. Both are public disclosure documents but the PSECR includes all employer-paid CPP, EI, WCB, MSP and Pension premiums while the SOFI does not.
Correction 2: Laura Godfrey was reimbursed $406 for board related expenses. The remaining $5,664 was paid to her family for the expenses of housing an International Student. The two amounts were not separated on the SOFI.
We regret the error.
Boyd Godfrey says
No error would have been made if you had bothered to pick up the phone or do some real investigative work in the first place. Seeing the amount of time and effort my wife puts into her work as a trustee and then gets dragged down by a muckraking article for no reason whatsoever makes me quite angry.
Andrea Purvis says
Laura Godfrey deserves a retraction and apology in your paper/on line – not just a ‘we regret the error’ response to Boyd Godfrey’s post.
Brian Roxburgh says
Journalism is a vocation not unlike many other professions in which and the general public, myself included, rely on for honest, unbiased, and factual reporting. When you misrepresent the facts of a story regarding an obscure sporting event or a minor detail in a local parade then sure, an “oops” or “we regret the error” will do. When you publicly state erroneous “facts” regarding the integrity of an individual without notifying the public of your mistake those “facts” become public knowledge about that person and the damage to Mrs. Godfrey’s reputation is the legacy of your mistake. I would be very disappointed to not see a public retraction with apology…it is your integrity that is now on the line.