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Boston proposes pay raises for school principals

Many Boston school principals and headmasters could receive higher salaries next school year under a proposal school officials unveiled Thursday to attract and retain the most talented school leaders.

Under the proposal, starting salaries for principals of small schools would jump to $122,000 and those for large schools would rise to $142,000. Currently, starting salaries range from $105,000 to $120,000.

The proposal could result in the first overhaul of the pay scale for principals in nearly a decade. School officials said the change is necessary because teacher salaries have been rising faster than pay for school leaders, creating situations where many rank and file educators are making more than principals.

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That pay gap, school officials said, is creating challenges in attracting some of the system’s most skillful educators to become principals because they could face a pay cut, even though they would end up working an additional 31 days.

The system also is facing increasing competition for principals from suburban schools, which have been offering higher salaries and recruiting some of Boston’s strongest school leaders.

Principals play a crucial role in boosting and maintaining school quality and student performance, and often the success of a school can rise and fall with changes in top leadership.

“Attracting and retaining high quality school leaders is one of the conditions for school success,” interim Superintendent John McDonough said in a statement. “Getting incentives right so that we are true to our values includes acknowledging the important role strong leaders play in the successful outcomes of students.”

McDonough introduced the proposal to many of the system’s more than 125 principals who attended a leadership meeting Thursday afternoon at School Department headquarters. It was the first time McDonough shared details of the proposal since announcing in February his intention to overhaul principal pay as part of his proposed budget for the next school year.

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A formal public announcement is expected Friday.

Implementation hinges on the City Council approving the school system’s proposed budget for the next school year. According to a school budget presentation in February, overhauling compensation would cost $340,000.

Under the proposal, the school system would stop giving principals automatic pay raises. Instead, pay hikes would be based on performance. Principals who receive an unsatisfactory or needs improvement rating on their evaluations would be ineligible for pay raises, while those who earn a proficient rating or exemplary rating could see their pay go up 3 or 4 percent.

The proposal also includes longevity bonuses for principals who have consecutive years of strong evaluations, with amounts ranging between $3,000 and $5,000 at various intervals during their tenures.

Principals welcomed the change.

“It’s definitely overdue,” said Mary Driscoll, principal of the Edison K-8 School in Brighton. “Being a principal is an incredibly challenging job. There’s no easy place to be a principal.”


James Vaznis can be reached at jvaznis@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globevaznis.