P.C. school board gives sup’t 6% pay raise, extends contract
June 27, 2024 at 12:58 a.m.
Port Chester Superintendent Dr. Aurelia Henriquez was alarmed and distraught after the last Board of Education meeting.
When push came to shove by means of a vote, it was revealed not all Port Chester Board of Education members are enthusiastic about the school district’s leadership. The salary increase and contract extension ultimately given to Henriquez that night did not garner the full support she expected.
“I was absolutely shocked to hear that two board members felt I was undeserving of a raise and the one-year extension,” she told the Westmore News after the touchy night unfolded. “Especially since the amendments voted on was what the board proposed to me in writing.”
“Although this outcome is disappointing and, I’ll be honest, somewhat embarrassing to discuss so openly in public, it’s important that I advocate for myself and other diverse leaders—Latinas and women in particular who encounter these challenges even today.”
In a 3-2 decision on Monday, June 24, the school board gave Henriquez a 6% raise and one-year contract extension—lengthening her commitment to the district through June 2027 while promising her $274,400 for the 2024-25 school year. During the meeting, the superintendent suggested she was “led to believe the board supported” the benefits offered, and if she thought otherwise, it likely would not have been put on the agenda.
Unlike most educators and staff, top administrators are not covered by union contracts that secure annual compensation increases. Therefore, every year in late-Spring the Port Chester Board of Education embarks on negotiations to individually award any raises or benefit changes.
That night, other key administrators who are separately evaluated received 3% pay increases across the board—including Deputy Superintendent Dr. Colleen Carroll, Assistant Superintendent for Business Philip Silano, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Dr. Tina Wilson, Director of Facilities Adam Rubin and Treasurer Matthew Cirieco.
A new contract with the administrators’ union was also adopted.
While all other agreements were unanimously approved, in a split decision board Vice President Sharon Burke and Trustee Rob Dominguez voted against the proposed superintendent’s amendments that night while President Lou Russo along with members Chrissie Onofrio and George Ford were supportive.
Hired in July 2021 at a salary of $244,000, Henriquez received 3% raises in each of the two years following her employment.
“I thought it was important to speak clearly about this contract specifically,” Burke said that night. “Sometimes, as board members, it’s important to remember that we can’t expect people to parse nuance or read into what we’re saying, so I want to be very clear that I will be voting against this contract because I am against the 6% raise and contract extension. The percent is double what we’ve given in the past two years.”
As the newest member of the school board, Dominguez said he was feeling the pressure of the public service learning curve and couldn’t bring himself to support the measure.
“The last month has been a barrage of a lot of activity; two meetings, more than a few executive sessions,” he said. “Personally, I try to see all sides of things and make informed decisions as much as I can. I just feel I wish we had a little more time to discuss this further.”
Both Burke and Dominguez were called after the meeting to gain clarity on their positions. While Dominguez could not be reached before this newspaper’s Wednesday night deadline, Burke was hesitant to publicly elaborate much more out of concern of disclosing information discussed in executive session.
“I am very clear on my responsibility as a member of the Port Chester Board of Education. It is to do what is right for the students and the school district. I do not support a contract extension for the superintendent or a 6% raise.”
—Board of Education Vice President Sharon Burke
“The superintendent has two more years on her current contract. What was being discussed and was voted on at the June 24 meeting was extending her contract and giving her a 6% raise,” she wrote in a statement. “I am very clear on my responsibility as a member of the Port Chester Board of Education. It is to do what is right for the students and the school district. I do not support a contract extension for the superintendent or a 6% raise.”
Reiterating how the split vote took her by surprise, Henriquez described feeling blindsided—especially, she argued, after the district has made immense progress over the last three years. Academic achievement and programming opportunities have been bolstered under her reign, which is also attributable to an additional $32 million of Foundation Aid funding that’s trickled in from the state.
In reflection, she said the district must strive for better, tangible communication.
“Since coming to Port Chester, I’ve arranged for several trainings and retreats about the superintendent evaluation process, the board evaluation process. I welcome actionable and evidence-based feedback from the board,” she said. “If we fail to set clearly defined expectations and fail to provide evidence-based feedback, it’s like telling someone to hit an invisible moving target.”
Debate over retention
“There was some chatter today in the public about the process of contracts and raises,” Trustee Ford noted Monday night, referring to a social media frenzy that saw community members voicing skepticism over the superintendent’s pay increase. He chimed in to clarify that in comparison, the teachers are entitled to 3% raises annually in addition to the 1.9% boost that accompanies their yearly step progression.
Defending the board’s decisions, he emphasized that historically, the school district has not been able to pay administrators at competitive rates due to its financially dire circumstances. But now, with an additional $30 million of Foundation Aid, they can “rectify those contracts.”
“This was one of the main reasons why the state gave us this money,” he said, “so we could hire and compete with surrounding school districts, more affluent school districts, and retain those employees.”
“For many years, we’ve heard that our employees are some of the lowest paid employees in the area,” Onofrio agreed. “We’ve made, as a board, serious efforts in recent contracts to get all of our employees somewhere in the middle of the pack. We don’t expect our employees to be the highest paid in the area, but we don’t want any of them to be at the bottom either.”
End-of-year negotiations have been shadowed, in part, by the noticeably trending departures of several well-established staff members. This year saw a slew of retirements and resignations that bid farewell to four administrators and principals, who followed three high-end officials out the door from the year before.
Are the partings an omen of a bigger problem? Some community members, largely on social media, have suggested concern.
“The district really must create and maintain an environment where our teachers, administrators and staff feel respected and supported,” Deirdre Pascale, an active resident, said during public comment at Monday’s meeting. “I hope that your board goals for the new year will include how to keep the dynamic professionals in our district.”
“There seems to be a small group of people who want to paint an incomplete picture of so many leaving the district. But Port Chester’s changes can also be compared to many other districts in the region,” Henriquez later justified on the phone. “While Port Chester went many years without seeing principals retired or promoted, our colleagues in superintendent circles can tell you, the post-COVID world sees a lot of movement.”
The district, she added, has also benefited from that inclination, as many of the new administrators joining the team left stable roles in other districts to do so.
“To paint a picture like that is unfair, and I dare say even divisive,” Henriquez said. “I think we need to be careful about that and have really open conversations with real facts without jumping to conclusions.”
While some board members have hinted about concerns over morale, others have added that offering better compensation is a step toward attracting and maintaining well-qualified administrators.
And the three trustees supporting Henriquez that night argued she is included in that calculation.
Ford touted the superintendent for the progress the district has seen over the last three years, as well as her open-door policy that lends an ear to community members. “There are 40 districts in Westchester, and I literally went contract by contract to look at numbers to make sure what we are doing for this superintendent isn’t an overreach,” he said. “And it’s certainly not, it’s probably an underreach. There are districts of half our size with superintendents making more money.”
“You really have to put in perspective, she’s the CEO of this organization. The phone calls, text messages, and emails don’t stop,” Ford said. “This board sat in executive session for over three hours on just this one subject. And if anyone knows me, they know I do my research, my homework, and I speak facts.”
President Russo ended up cutting the conversation off that night, advising they “tiptoe” around their rationale to be respectful of confidentiality. But ultimately, “I think about all the things that we’ve done, and all the programs put in place,” he justified. “I hate to use a political cliché, but are we better off today than three years ago? I think we are.”
Considering region and identity
Henriquez felt compelled to defend herself after the controversial vote.
“I am one of the lowest paid superintendents in Westchester County. I’m one of the few female superintendents, and certainly one of the only Latinx superintendents,” she said Monday night. “I do a lot of work with female aspiring leaders, and aspiring leaders of color, and it’s important that I advocate for myself. And I needed to say that.”
In a follow up conversation, she explained why the sentiment was worth highlighting.
“At that meeting, I mustered up the courage to make a comment because I realized in that moment, this is something that is much bigger than me,” she said. “I think it’s crucial to recognize the historical context of pay discrepancies and expectations set for women and people of color.”
Aside from diversity factors, Henriquez said it’s also important to consider where Port Chester Schools is located.
Salary disclosure statements from the New York State Education Department show Henriquez is certainly not considered a high-paid superintendent for the region.
Per data comparing 2023-24 budgets, she earned $258,900. Nearby, the Blind Brook Schools superintendent earned $267,800, while in Rye Neck they made $262,700 and $314,000 in Rye City.
There’s a bigger discrepancy comparing districts of similar size and demographics. The superintendents in Ossining and Peekskill both earned close to $291,000 last year, while in White Plains the administrator’s pay neared $297,000.
The data, of course, doesn’t consider the experience of the administrator both within and outside the district.
“Being one of the lowest paid superintendents in the area, comparing my salary and the work I do to similar districts, it’s something people need to be aware of,” Henriquez said. “Asking the board to consider that and consistency in leadership is something we should all want.”
“Everyone’s perspective, including mine, is shaped by their unique lived experience. I recognize some may not have that firsthand experience of what it’s like to be a superintendent, but it’s my responsibility to present the facts to everyone. And by considering the whole picture, I hope we can strive to foster a deeper understanding of historical context considering leaders of color in superintendency positions.”
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