The Brookline School Committee finance subcommittee recommended new salary ranges for non‑union (non‑aligned) principal positions and forwarded the recommendation to the full committee.

The subcommittee recommended a salary range of $160,000–$170,000 for preK–8 principals and $185,000–$195,000 for the high‑school principal. The recommendation was presented after staff collected comparable salary data from neighboring districts and after discussion of internal relative pay bands for assistant principals and director/coordinator roles.

Why it matters: Subcommittee members said competitive principal compensation is important for recruitment and retention. Staff emphasized that Brookline principals work a 12‑month schedule while many assistant principals and directors are employed on shorter-day calendars; the pay bands should preserve appropriate differentiation between supervisory and subordinate roles.

Staff data: Dr. Susan Givens presented peer‑district averages: the average high‑school principal salary among comparables was approximately $175,000; Brookline’s current high‑school principal pay is around $180,000. For elementary and middle levels, the comparables’ averages and local ranges varied; staff said title differences and differing FTEs in comparable districts require careful interpretation.

Vote and next steps: The subcommittee approved forwarding the recommended ranges to the full School Committee for formal adoption (roll-call recorded: unanimous among members present). The subcommittee also asked Human Resources to provide any contract or structural details from comparable districts (longevity, stipends, and other non‑salary compensation) to inform final negotiations.

Context: Staff noted that broader, system‑wide non‑aligned compensation work is ongoing and that the recommended ranges reflect both market data and internal equity concerns. The subcommittee asked staff to provide final cost estimates for the proposed ranges, reflecting the negotiated COLA already included in coming budgets.