Hankin: Salary Freeze Still in Effect

Syosset Superintendent Carole Hankin and her salary were once again in the spotlight at Monday night's Board of Education meeting.

Hankin received a pay increase of $18,376 at the start of the 2010-11 school year to bump her base salary to $405,244, a fact not widely known until the figure was released by the State Department of Education in May. The news,, came just days before the district budget vote.

Residents at the latest Board of Education meeting said Hankin and the administration had been misleading, quoting a base salary of $386,868 instead of the actual figure for this year.

"I don't think the board has handled this matter well at all," said Syosset resident , who has two children who graduated from the District. "It is very unclear what [Hankin's] salary is this year."

Hankin, who agreed to a salary freeze for the upcoming school year, publicly defended her pay package along with her role in the district.

"When I walk any where or go any where, I'm being evaluated," Hankin said. "The PTA over there, they are tough. The kids are tough."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo singled out Hankin's salary as excessive as part of a push for tax cap reform earlier this year. But even his numbers were wrong.

When administrators and teachers on Jan. 24, residents said they assumed Hankin's salary would be $386,868 for next year, not the amount shown in the state document. Hankin's raise was approved by the school board last June.

Ennis said the district needs to do a better job getting this information out to the public, as well as making other information available online.

"I would hope you might find it useful to issue a report of the total compensation of Dr. Hankin, including cash payments in lieu of vacation and sick days," Ennis said. "I would hope it will be posted on the district website."

Hankin argued that her salary information has been available to the public for quite some time, and wanted to make it clear that "there will be no raises next year."

"This was on the website, it was on the budget line - there is a superintendent's office line," Hankin said as she held up the district report card.

When Hankin had been asked about her salary by reporters at previous board meetings, such as the one on  she stated her previous year's salary of $386,868.

"This Board of Education has always determined the Superintendent's salary in June or July," Hankin said Monday. "Sometimes later when it goes up on the NYS website it is different."