Lucrative perks for school administrators

Bill Bowman and Paul D'Ambrosio of Gannett New Jersey newspapers navigated the details of school district contracts to show that "in districts around the state, it is not uncommon for boards of education to grant tens of thousands of dollars in extra pay to their chief administrators through complex contract deals that keep the true cost of compensation from the taxpayers. Generous benefits packages include free use of district cars or lucrative car allowances, thousands of dollars in tax-deferred annuities and money for unused vacation and sick days." The perks vary from district to district, with one administrator receiving 55 percent more than his base pay in bonuses and other payments.