LEWISTOWN - When incoming Mifflin County School District Superintendent James Estep takes office on July 1, he will earn $18,500 a year more than his predecessor, school officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Estep, whom the school board approved as superintendent on March 25, will begin with a five-year contract and a salary of $157,500 on July 1. Salary increases will be determined by the school board on a yearly basis, Chief Executive Officer Sean Daubert said.
The annual salary for current Superintendent David Runk, who has served in the position for 13 years, is $139,000, according to information from Daubert.
School board president Walter Harpster said the board offered a higher salary to attract the most qualified candidates.
"We looked at it as a lot of good people wouldn't come here unless we made the position an attractive one," Harpster said. "We were looking for the very best people we could find."
Considering the school district's size and rural location, the school board used statistics of state superintendents' salaries from the Pennsylvania School Board Association to help determine what Mifflin County should offer, board member Travis Parkes said.
In 2007-2008, the average salary for a superintendent in a district the size of Mifflin County was $157,600, according to a report from the PSBA.
However, the average superintendent's salary in this region - which includes Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin and Somerset counties - was $103,152, according to the report.
While Estep's salary is the higher than what neighboring superintendents are paid, Mifflin County's student body also is larger. Current student enrollment is 5,521, according to enrollment information from Vance Varner, the director of middle level education.
Mount Union Area School District, with a student population of about 1,500, paid Estep $100,000 beginning in 2006 with 2.75 percent annual raises, according to his contract. He currently earns $109,840.
In Juniata County, where enrollment is 3,085, Superintendent Kenneth Albaugh earns $114,000, according to information published previously in The Sentinel. His starting salary in 2008 was $107,500.
Midd-West School District Superintendent Wesley Knapp currently earns $113,850, and student enrollment is 2,250, according to information provided by Business Manager Lynn Naugle. His starting salary was $110,000 in December 2008.
"If we're paying this guy more, we're expecting more. We felt we should pay somebody what they're worth. We have to look at it in terms of this person coming in here is running a $60 million business, so what do you pay?" Harpster said. "You certainly don't get somebody for $30,000 to run a business that size. The salary is all relevant. You have to pay enough to get the right people."
Mifflin County School District is also the second largest employer in the county, according to a report from the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation.
After advertising the open superintendent position, Harpster said the school district received 18 applications - "some in state, some out of state and some from in the school district."
The board narrowed down the list, conducted interviews and chose Estep from three "outstanding" candidates, Harpster said. Harpster said he valued Estep's leadership skills and "level-headedness."
Harpster said he heard nothing but positive comments about Estep from people in Mount Union.
"Good communication was the big thing for me," Parkes said. "He seemed to show forward thinking."
Board member Kristen Sharp said Estep showed his knowledge of rural schools, but he also offered fresh ideas.
"I am excited and optimistic about what he will bring to the table," Sharp said. "I look forward to the future of Mifflin County."
Attempts to contact board members Beth Reifsnyder and David Molek for comment were unsuccessful.
