The superintendents of the Rye Neck and Mamaroneck school districts are two of the highest paid school administrators in the state, according to information released by the New York State Department of Education.

Peter Mustich, the superintendent of the Rye Neck Union Free School District, is scheduled to earn a salary of $286,575 in the 2010-11 school year, which would make him the fourth highest paid superintendent in Westchester County (out of 37 districts that submitted data) and the 13th highest paid superintendent in the state (out of approximately 670 districts). Mustich's salary is pending a review and vote by the Rye Neck schools board scheduled for July 1. Mustich's compensation jumps to $339,317 once benefits and other perks are taken into account.

Incoming Mamaroneck school Superintendent Robert Shaps is scheduled to make
$255,000, which would rank him as the 15th highest paid superintendent in the county and the 46th highest paid administrator in the state, according to the Education Department. (Administrators who are higher on the state list are mostly superintendents, except for Syosset's deputy superintendent, who is at #14 with a salary of $286,457). Shaps' total compensation jumps to $320,479 with benefits and perks.

Shaps, who replaces Mamaroneck Superintendent Dr. Paul Fried in July, made $235,433 as the superintendent of the Hastings-on-Hudson school district this year.

Fried, who made $268,623 in 2009, is taking a new superintendent position in Montville, N.J. His new salary will be $211,200, according to news reports.

School administrators in Westchester County earn an average salary of about $160,800 and the statewide average is about $147,670. Those figures only account for the school districts that submitted salary data to the state last month.

School districts were required to submit salary data to the DOE for administrators budgeted to make $118,000 or more in the 2010-11 school year. Syracuse, New York City, Rochester, Yonkers and Buffalo schools are not required to file their administrative salaries with the state. In Westchester, Greenburgh and Pleasantville did not submit data. Statewide, about 20 school districts did not submit data.

There may also be slight variations in some of the numbers due to the fact that they were submitted prior to school budget votes.

The statewide average salary in 2008 was about $140,339, according to state data.

Robert Lowry, deputy director of the New York State Council of School Administrators,  believes the salaries of administrators in the state, especially superintendents, are well earned.

"They are not just overseeing education," Lowry said. "In many cases, the school district may operate a bus system that is larger than the community they are located in. They are responsible for serving more meals in a day than any restaurant or institution in the community; they need to be concerned about students as well as make sure that kids learn. They also need to be able to comply with many legal requirements and manage finances."

Lowry said a lack of applicants is also driving up superintendent salaries. About 60 percent of the superintendents in the state are expected to retire by 2013, he said. But a study done a few years ago showed that fewer people were coming forward to apply for the positions.

Eight superintendents announced that they were leaving their positions in this year alone, according to news reports. Five of those departures were due to retirements.

Linnet Tse, president of the Mamaroneck school board, said she and the other board of education members witnessed the complexities of hiring a superintendent first-hand after Fried announced he was leaving.

"Generally speaking, it is definitely much more difficult to hire a superintendent
nowadays," Tse said in an e-mail response. "First, the current pool of superintendents is aging.  And, there are fewer people wanting to become a superintendent these days due to the increased demands – many of them legal and financial - of the position."

Tse said the school board is also aware of the sensitivity surrounding the issue of administrator salaries, especially given the current economic climate. She said that's why the board made sure to sign Shaps to a deal with a lower salary than Fried would have made if he remained in the school district.

"Compared to Dr. Fried's contract, Dr. Shaps will have a lower salary, a higher contribution to health care and no car allowance," Tse said.

In the Rye Neck school district, Mustich is signed to a five-year deal. But his performance is reviewed by the school board at the end of the year. His contract is then renewed, based on his performance.

Lowry said this was a common practice for many school districts in the state.

Heidi Sickles, the president of the Rye Neck school board, said the board has been pleased with Mustich's leadership.

"We, as a board, expect very strong results and we're extremely satisfied with his leadership over the past decade," she said. "His leadership has resulted in a tremendous evolution for this district."

Top 20 school administrator salaries in Westchester County

1) EDGEMONT UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $299,963

2) SCARSDALE UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $288,561

3) HARRISON CSD Superintendent of Schools -- $287,074

4) RYE NECK UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $286,575

5) BRONXVILLE UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $279,212

6) BRIARCLIFF MANOR UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $276,204

7) KATONAH-LEWISBORO UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $274,275

8) UFSD-TARRYTOWN Superintendent of Schools -- $274,120

9) CHAPPAQUA CSD Superintendent of Schools -- $265,081

10) OSSINING UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $264,593

11) NEW ROCHELLE CITY SD Superintendent of Schools -- $263,250

12) HENDRICK HUDSON CSD Superintendent of Schools -- $261,105

13) IRVINGTON UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $256,965

14) SOMERS CSD Superintendent of Schools -- $255,399

15) MAMARONECK UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $255,000

16) RYE CITY SD Superintendent of Schools -- $253,623

17) BEDFORD CSD Superintendent of Schools -- $251,000

18) LAKELAND CSD Superintendent of Schools -- $250,000

19) BLIND BROOK-RYE UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $245,920

20) PORT CHESTER-RYE UFSD Superintendent of Schools -- $245,670