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

BUTLER, 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 Butler 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):

40 to 49 years of experience:

• MARYANN VERMONT, Richard Butler School, BUTLER BORO, MORRIS $103,514

30 to 39 years of experience:

• LORI FERENCE, Butler High School, BUTLER BORO, MORRIS $101,214

20 to 29 years of experience:

• MARGARET LYNCH, Butler High School, BUTLER BORO, BUTLER BORO MORRIS $111,464

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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