Fountain Valley School District approves pay raises in amended contracts for superintendent, 3 administrators

Pay raises are on the way for Fountain Valley School District Supt. Mark Johnson and three other administrators after the district’s board unanimously approved amendments to their contracts Thursday.

Johnson — along with Assistant Supt. of Personnel Cathie Abdel, Assistant Supt. of Business Christine Fullerton and Assistant Supt. of Educational Services Steve McLaughlin — will each receive two pay raises totaling 5%, as well as a one-time payment equal to 1% of their previous base salaries.

The salary bumps are 3% for 2018-19 and 2% for 2019-20 and will be applied retroactively to the start of those respective fiscal years.

Johnson said both the raises and the additional 1% payment reflect union negotiations with certificated staff, which wrapped up in June.

His base salary will increase to $249,201 this school year and the one-time payment he will receive is $2,372, which is based off of his previous base salary of $237,199.

He also is eligible for longevity compensation and an annual doctoral stipend of $3,000 and will receive the same maximum health and welfare benefit contributions from the district that are afforded to certificated employees.

Johnson was appointed as the district’s superintendent in 2015. His current contract runs through June 30, 2023.

“Every organization needs a leader and, if you look statistically at movement of superintendents, they usually stay about five years,” said district board member Sandra Crandall. “Dr. Johnson is coming up [on] the end of his five years and he’s just committed to us ‘til 2023. That makes us very, very blessed and very, very fortunate.”

For this coming school year, Abdel’s base salary will climb to $194,664; Fullerton’s to $204,525 and McLaughlin’s to $194,664. McLaughlin also will receive the same $3,000 doctoral stipend as Johnson.

The three assistant superintendents also will receive the same benefits and longevity compensation. Their contracts now run through June 30, 2022.

“This is an extremely dynamic, efficient, incredible team and I’m really grateful that all three of [the assistant superintendents] have accepted the extension to their contracts and will continue to work so hard — day in and day out — at this level for our students, for our teachers, for our classified staff and for the community,” Crandall said. “I’m so glad this team is together.”