Novi Superintendent Among Top Paid in Michigan

The superintendent of Novi Community Schools comes in as the 39th-highest paid superintendent in Michigan, placing him in the top 7 percent in Michigan.

According to a new database compiled by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, and using 2012 salary and benefit information provided by school districts throughout the state, the total compensation for Dr. Steve Matthews is approximately $233,128.

While Matthews' base salary is actually $185,000—the 15th highest in the state—insurance, pension, annuity, travel and other expenses bring the lump sum to $233,128, according to The Mackinac Center.

Matthews' contract is due to expire June 30, 2014, and the district's enrollment was 6,401 students in 2012.

"While compensation for superintendents only amounts to about 1 percent of public school spending, the public should have easy access to this particular information,” said Michael Van Beek, Mackinac Center director of education policy, in a press release. “As CEOs of districts and often the highest paid government employee in a local community, superintendent pay deserves an extra level of public scrutiny."

The superintendent of Farmington Public Schools comes in at the highest paid in Oakland County with $277,867 total compensation with an enrollment of 11,763 in 2012.

Utica Community Schools' superintendent is the highest paid in the state with a total compensation of $300,789 and an enrollment of 29,541 in 2012.

See how other local districts compare:

• Northville Public Schools - $211,841
• Livonia Public Schools - $251,684
• Bloomfield Hills Schools - $259,763
• Birmingham Schools - $253,396
• Brighton Schools - $183,683
• Rochester Community Schools - $235,679
• South Lyon Community Schools - $259,260
• Troy Schools - $273,615
• Walled Lake Schools - $269,565
• West Bloomfield Schools - $230,798

Note: The numbers above represent the worth of each superintendent's total compensation package. Superintendents earn an average salary of $115,000 in Michigan, according to the database.

See the full database at http://www.mackinac.org/depts/epi/salary.aspx.