Pay remains to be determined

As a search for a permanent director of special education get underway, expected to be in December, pay will be an issue.

"We have been on the low side," Superintendent Kathleen Bodie told the School Committee on Thursday, Nov. 17. She said she will be looking in the range of $110,000 to $120,000.

Mark Ryder, who directed the department for three years and announced he was leaving in March for a nonprofit in Maine, was paid $110,000 a year.

The job description the committee approved last week does not state the salary.

The committee received a list of annual salaries paid to top administrators of special education in some Massachusetts school districts. Here is the list (at the end are explanations of what the varying asterisks mean):

Arlington: $110,000 *

Belmont: $120,923 *

Lexington: $135,194 *

Acton: $119,734 ***

Bedford: $92,745 ***

Boxborough: $96,663 ***

Brookline: $101,663-$136,000 ***

Carlisle: $122,400 ***

Concord: $133,900 ***

Dedham: $103,000 (260 days) **

Dover/Sherborn: $100-$105,000 (3 administrators of special education, 220 days) **

Framingham: $116,032 (12 months) **

Holliston: $113,300 (260 days) **

Hopkinton: $114,477 (225 days) **

Lincoln: 132,487 ***

Medfield: $116,500 (220 days) **

Medford: $103,000 *

Millis: $106,406 (260 days) **

Natick: $114.000-$130,000 (220.5 days) **

Needham: $123,814 (260 days) **

Newton: $130,000 ***

Norwood: $113,497 (260 days) **

Walpole: $88,000 (261 days) **

Watertown: $117,260 ***

Wayland: $122,148 (261 days) **

Wellesley: $131,078 (260 days) **

Weston: $125,065 (260 days) **

Westwood: $120,983 (225 days) **

*Winchester: $114,000 *

TEC: $110,000 (260 days) **

* Arlington, Belmont, Lexington, Medford, Winchester data given by HR/payroll, Nov. 12, 2011

** Data with number of days is from TEC 

*** Data without number of days is from EDCO