Published 12 hours ago • loading... • Updated 12 hours ago

Report reveals state’s highest paid school superintendents

Renton Superintendent Damien Pattenaude tops Washington's superintendent pay list with a total final salary of $477,693 for the 2025-2026 school year, according to Washington State Fiscal Information's preliminary report.
Annual adjustments based on the Implicit Price Deflator and a contract provision granting a 9-month sabbatical after seven years of service drove Pattenaude's pay increase, according to Renton School District.
Following Pattenaude, Lake Washington Superintendent Jonathon Holmen earned $466,401, Issaquah Superintendent Heather Tow-Yick $440,479, Auburn Superintendent Alan Spicciati $417,863, and Northshore Superintendent Justin Irish $416,526.
Tacoma Superintendent Josh Garcia holds the state's highest base salary at $432,781, though his total final salary was $390,010, illustrating that superintendent pay does not correlate with district size.
Superintendents function as chief executive officers for their districts, with compensation established through a public process and employment contracts serving as public records, according to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Insights by Ground AI