Morris District Teachers Among 10,000 In NJ To Make $99K Or More

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ – The Department of Education has released its annual list of teachers and their salaries for 2019 and the list of educators making $100,000 or more — a list that barely had any teachers on it more than a decade ago — has grown in recent years.

Here in the Morris School District that list includes educators with decades of experience. It is also important to note that some of these teachers are supervisors, work on curriculum and coach. It is also worth noting this group is a small fraction of the more than 100,000 people who teach in public and charter schools in this state. But the highest earners also come from all different schools — not just the so-called "wealthy" districts that routinely rank highly on national and state lists for best schools.

This information is public, and the salaries are paid out from taxpayer money which is generally a source of interest. Some districts who have teachers higher up on the salary guide are obligated to use a larger portion of their annual budget to pay it out. The charge of the local school boards is to honor the financial commitments while making capital improvements and staying within the two percent annual tax cap.

Here are the teachers in our district who earn the top salaries, with their school, their school district and, finally, their salaries (the teachers have been divided by their years of experience):

30 to 39 years of experience:

• Diane Petescia, Hillcrest School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, MORRIS $102,117
• Douglas Koban, Woodland School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, MORRIS $107,136

20 to 29 years of experience:

• Marco Vargas, Frelinghuysen Middle School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $105,045
• Jill Demark, Frelinghuysen Middle School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $105,045
• Kerri Farrell, Hillcrest School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $105,045
• Donna Gelegonya, Morristown High School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $105,045
• Steven McPeters, Woodland School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,576
• Marianna D Elia, Frelinghuysen Middle School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,117
• Martin Narciso, Frelinghuysen Middle School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,117
• Tina Kern, Morristown High School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,117
• Cherie Ann Smith, Normandy Park School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,117
• Cynthia Purcell-Mauro, Frelinghuysen Middle School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,117
• Michelle Harris, Alfred Vail School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, $102,117
• Patti Spiegel, Hillcrest School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, $102,117
• Jodi Paige, Frelinghuysen Middle School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, $102,117
• Cynthia Laudadio, Morristown High School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, $100,842
• Juliette Amsallen, Sussex Avenue School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, $100,105
• Kelly Patten, Hillcrest School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, $100,105
• Dawn Catanzaro, Hillcrest School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, $99,648

10 to 19 years experience:

• Norma Davis Morristown High School MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,117
• Deirdre Falk Frelinghuysen Middle School MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,117
• Jonathan Fletcher Morristown High School MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,117
• Guillermo Santana Morristown High School MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,117
• Debra Welter Alfred Vail School MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $102,117
• Lisa Kattermann Alfred Vail School MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT MORRIS $99,648

In 2018-2019, the median salary for teachers totaled $68,985, according to a Patch analysis of salary data for public school districts and charter schools. The increase was about 1.6 percent higher than the previous year. Patch previously reported the complete list, for those looking to see other districts.

The Department of Education has said the department double-checks the data before delivering it to the media.

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