PLAINFIELD - One school district’s loss is another’s gain as Killingly’s assistant superintendent prepares to take the top education spot in Plainfield later this year.
The Plainfield Board of Education this week unanimously voted to appoint Paul Brenton as its new superintendent of schools effective July 1.
Benton, a veteran educator and administrator who’s served in the Killingly district No. 2 slot since 2017, was among 21 applicants from six states and the District of Columbia who sought the position after long-serving superintendent Kenneth Di Pietro announced he’d retire on June 30 after 11 years on the job.
“I am humbled and honored to be selected for this role,” Brenton said in a press release. “Eastern Connecticut has been my home for so many years of my career and I am excited to begin partnering with the families, staff and community members in Plainfield. I look forward to building new relationships as we support the students during this challenging
The highest paid superintendent is Sean McKenna of Griswold, with a current annual salary of $190,974.
On the lower end is Kenneth Di Pietro of Plainfield, at $175,000 a year.
“There are many factors in determining the salary of a superintendent,” Robert Rader, the executive director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, said in an email. “Generally, the Board (and the superintendent) will look at comparisons in the regional area, the experience and qualifications of the superintendent, the school district’s size, the district’s ability to pay, and the salary of the superintendent the year before.”
Of those factors, district size seems less significant than the others.