Superintendent gets $146,000 contract approved

The Yuma Union High School Board approved a contract of $146,000 for its new superintendent, Gina Thompson.

The approval happened Wednesday night. Thompson will also get a car allowance of $800 per month.

Thompson said she couldn’t do it without her team. “We continue to move forward in our, increasing our students’ achievement scores through Az MERIT and things that the state measures us on. We also look forward to continuing in developing our use of technology and the use of data to inform teaching and learning,” said Thompson.

The contract runs through June 2020. Thompson’s official start date is Thursday.

She has worked in YUHSD for 28 years, including five years as an Associate Superintendent under Toni Badone, who retired in October. Thompson’s career in Yuma started at Cibola High School and included stops at Yuma High School and Kofa High School before she transitioned to district administration.

According to the Arizona School Board Association, Thompson’s pay is lower than the superintendent average reported for the 2015-2016 school year.

Eric Patten, community engagement and communications director with YUHSD, said Thompson is making nearly $30,000 less than other superintendents in districts of a similar size. Paten also said that Thompson did not request to be at the maximum end of her salary range for the posted position, which according to Paten she more than qualified for based on her experience.

The highest paid superintendent salary in Arizona according to the ASBA, regardless of district size, was of more than $322,000. The average superintendent salary listed in the 2015-2016 school year was of $140,021.

To look at the contract in its entirety click here.