Annunziato Clarifies Views On Proposed Superintendent Salary Cap

Comments made by Superintendent Dr. Anthony Annunziato and published in a recent Newsday article were clarified by the school district's top administrator at a budget hearing Thursday night.

Annunziato, who serves as president of the Suffolk County School Superintendent’s Association, was interviewed by the newspaper about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to place a cap on the salaries of school superintendents across New York State.

In the aforementioned article, Annunziato was quoted as saying that if such a cap is enacted, superintendents on Long Island would leave the state once their contracts expire.

Annunziato, who is paid $242,550 annually, told Newsday that he would leave New York. The superintendent thinks his quotes in the article “were not taken out of context, but were portrayed in a different light,” he said.

He explained the reasoning behind his statements.

“I would consider leaving the state,” Annunziato said. “But I wouldn’t leave Bayport-Blue Point to go to another district on Long Island.”

The superintendent emphasized his fondness for the Bayport-Blue Point community and educational system, and said his statements were not meant to convey a disconnection between him and the district, but rather express his thoughts on the government’s view of education if this bill goes through.

“I want to live in a state where the government and legislature value the educational leaders of the state,” Annunziato said. “I have a passion for what I do. If the cap is imposed, maybe this isn’t where I want to be."

Superintendents are not easy to come by, Annunziato said, as there are 17,000 school districts in the country and the number of individuals qualified to do the work of a superintendent is far less than that. Annunziato cited “double-dipping” as a concern.

“My fear is that the only people who could take the (superintendent) positions are retirees on pensions,” Annunziato said, adding that they may be the only ones able to afford to accept that salary.

"If the bill is enacted, why stop there?" Annunziato asked. “Why simply cap the salaries of school superintendents? Why not cap all salaries of public employees?” he asked.