When Carla Santorno gets a new job running Tacoma Public Schools’ daily operations in January, she’ll also start earning more money, members of the Tacoma School Board agreed Thursday.
She will receive an annual salary of $225,000. Board President Kurt Miller said that amount is comparable to what other Washington state large school district superintendents with similar experience earn. He cited Seattle and Spokane as examples. (Seattle is the state’s largest school district, and Tacoma is third behind Spokane.)
Current Tacoma Superintendent Art Jarvis earns $240,000 annually. He will retire at the end of June.
As deputy superintendent, Santorno currently earns $184,009, not including benefits.
Last month, board members agreed to designate Santorno as interim superintendent-elect beginning in January, for a term of six months. Then in July, she will become interim superintendent for one year.
During the transition, Jarvis beginning in January will take up the school district’s cause at the state Capitol in Olympia, as legislators prepare for another round of budget cuts.
Miller said that Santorno’s contract contains no added pension or annuity benefits. He said the contract will give Santorno a $700 per month allowance for use of her personal vehicle “in lieu of claims for miles driven.”
He also said that because of the length of the contract and the arrival of two newly elected school board members on the five-member board next month, there are two new conditions that could be invoked:
• If the new board decides to terminate Santorno without cause during the term of the 18-month agreement, the district promises to provide her severance pay equal to 10 months’ salary.
• If the new board decides to launch a search for a new superintendent during the 18-month period and Santorno gives three months’ notice, the district will owe her seven months’ severance pay.
Miller said the severance terms would allow Santorno time to search for a new job. He said the reason for including the three-month notice, should Santorno elect to leave during a superintendent search, is to ensure the district would not have to search internally for another interim.
“It’s being fair,” Miller said. “Carla is taking a huge risk doing this. We want to honor that.”
Santorno said she’s happy with the contract. Board members approved it unanimously.
Before being hired as Tacoma’s deputy superintendent in 2009, Santorno served as chief academic officer for Seattle Public Schools for three years. She had previously worked in teaching and in administration in the Denver Public Schools system.
She recently moved from Seattle to Tacoma in anticipation of her job change.
Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635
debbie.cafazzo@thenewstribune.com
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