By MIKE ANTHONY

Executive Editor

Superintendent Jim Sandfort has been awarded a 9.4 percent raise for the 2003-2004 school year by the Lindbergh Board of Education.

Board members voted unanimously to extend Sandfort’s contract through the 2005-2006 school year.

Sandfort is being paid $145,000 for the 2003-2004 school year, a 9.4 percent increase from the $132,500 he was paid during the previous school year. Sandfort was paid $122,500 for the 2001-2002 school year and $117,330 for the 2000-2001 school year.

As superintendent, Sandfort also receives additional benefits, including paid family insurance and a monthly travel allowance.

The Board of Education voted in 2000 to adopt a 100-percent, performance-based compensation system to determine the salaries of all administrators except for the superintendent.

The system, based on those used in the private sector, ties compensation to performance and to an index based on the average of salaries paid by five “benchmark” school districts to ensure Lindbergh’s salaries remain competitive with districts competing for the same personnel.

The benchmark districts include Kirkwood, Mehlville, Parkway, Pattonville and Rockwood.

For the 2003-2004 school year, the overall increase in the district’s budget for administrative salaries is 3.8 percent.

Excluding the superintendent, individual pay increases range from 2.5 percent to 8.5 percent based on the placement of salaries above or below the benchmark districts and performance. With the exception of the superintendent, administrators receive the same benefits as other employees, such as an individual employee insurance package that includes health, hospitalization, dental, vision and life benefits.

Salaries of Central Office administrators for the 2003-2004 school year are:

• Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Pat Lanane will be paid $117,314, a 5.5 percent increase from the $111,200 he earned last year. He was paid $106,636 for the 2001-2002 school year and $101,545 for the 2000-2001 school year.

• Assistant Superintendent for Special Services Vicki Oldani will be paid $105,076, a 5.5 percent increase from the $99,600 she was paid last year. She was paid $94,802 for the 2001-2002 school year and $90,720 for the 2000-2001 school year.

• Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Rick Frances will be paid $103,787, a 7 percent increase from the $97,000 he was paid last year, his first year with the district.

• Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Nancy Rathjen will be paid $97,000. Rathjen is new to the district, replacing Vic Lenz, who retired. Lenz was paid $118,000 for the 2002-2003 school year.

• Director of Facilities Karl Guyer will be paid $92,951, a 5.5 percent increase from the $88,107 he was paid last year. He was paid $84,922 for the 2001-2002 school year and $80,878 for the 2000-2001 school year.

Salaries of Lindbergh High School administrators for the 2003-2004 school year are:

• Principal Ron Helms will be paid $109,665, a 5.5 percent increase from the $103,950 he was paid last year. He was paid $99,000 for the 2001-2002 school year — his first as principal.

• Assistant Principal Keith Luebbert will be paid $100,503, a 3.75 percent increase from the $96,872 he was paid last year. He was paid $94,509 for the 2001-2002 school year and $89,849 for the 2000-2001 school year.

• Assistant Principal Frank Wood will be paid $94,644, an increase of 5.5 percent from the $89,712 he was paid last year. He was paid $86,469 for the 2001-2002 school year and $82,273 for the 2000-2001 school year.

• Assistant Principal Mary Hogan will be paid $82,171, a 7 percent increase from the $76,797 she was paid last year. She was paid $73,140 for the 2001-2002 school year and $69,000 for the 2000-2001 school year.

• Assistant Principal Mark Eggers will be paid $78,068, a 5.5 percent increase from the $74,000 he was paid last year, his first as assistant principal.

• Director of Athletics Mike Slyman will be paid $77,736, a 7 percent increase from the $72,652 he was paid last year. He was paid $67,733 for the 2001-2002 school year and $64,507 for the 2000-2001 school year.

• Director of Activities Bill Hopkins will be paid $64,982, a 5 percent increase from the $61,889 he was paid last year. He was paid $58,248 for the 2001-2002 school year and $55,474 for the 2000-2001 school year.

Salaries of Sperreng Middle School administrators for the 2003-2004 school year are:

• Principal Robert Ayres will be paid $112,424, a 4.25 percent increase for the $107,842 he was paid last year. He was paid $102,952 for the 2001-2002 school year and $96,940 for the 2000-2001 school year.

• Assistant Principal Gail Hermann will be paid $90,956, a 3 percent increase from the $88,308 she was paid last year. She was paid $84,708 for the 2001-2002 school year and $81,616 for the 2000-2001 school year.

• Assistant Principal David Kew will be paid $75,138, a 6 percent increase from the $70,886 he was paid last year. He was paid $66,716 for the 2001-2002 school year and $62,940 for the 2000-2001 school year.

• Assistant Principal Sonya Ptah will be paid $89,243, a 2.5 percent increase from the $87,067 she was paid last year. She was paid $84,943 for the 2001-2002 school year as a high school assistant principal.

Salaries of elementary school administrators for the 2003-2004 school year are:

• Kennerly Elementary Principal Steve Suess will be paid $110,014, a 4.25 percent increase from the $105,531 he was paid last year. He was paid $101,229 for the 2001-2002 school year and $96,098 for the 2000-2001 school year.

• Long Elementary Principal Tracy Edwards will be paid $85,598, a 7 percent increase from the $80,000 she earned last year, her first as principal.

• Sappington Elementary Principal Joseph Sartorius will be paid $104,872, a 5.5 percent increase from the $99,407 he was paid last year. He was paid $91,648 for the 2001-2002 school year when the length of his contract was increased to 12 months from 11 months.

• Crestwood Elementary Principal Scott Taylor will be paid $94,948, a 5.5 percent increase from the $90,000 he was paid last year, his first as principal.

• Interim Truman Elementary School Principal Andy Wright will be paid $57,503, an 8.5 percent increase from the $53,000 he was paid as assistant principal last year. Former Principal Lynne Glickert has accepted a principal’s position with the University City School District.

• New Truman Elementary Assistant Principal Laurie O’Leary will be paid $60,000.