Two hundred eighty-five people working at the New Westminster school district made $75,000 or more in the 2018/19 fiscal year, according to recently released documents.
The annual statement of financial information is included in this week’s joint education and operations committee meeting, which includes a so-called “sunshine list.” The list is a provincially mandated document detailing all employees making $75,000 or more per year for every school district.
This year’s list totalled nearly $26.7 million in salaries and non-taxable benefits, with an additional $132,352 in expenses.
The number of people on the list is a slight increase from the 278 people on the list in 2017/18.
Forty-four people were listed as making more than $100,000, while just four made more than $150,000. That includes Karim Hachlaf, superintendent ($194,000); Robert Weston, executive director of HR ($166,000); Maryam Naser, associate superintendent ($159,000); and Kim Morris, former secretary-treasurer ($156,000).
The remainder of New West school district staff, who made under $75,000, took home a combined $29.6 million, along with $158,000 claimed in expenses. It’s unclear how many staff made less than $75,000, as they are not required to be reported by the district.
The school district also paid a total of $49.5 million to 103 third-party suppliers in exchanges totalling more than $25,000.
That included five whose payments exceeded the $1-million mark. The highest-paid supplier was New Westminster Secondary School replacement contractor Graham Design Builders, which received nearly $21.5 million. Nearly $10.4 million was paid toward the commissioner of teachers’ pensions, and $2.7 million was paid to the commissioner of municipal pensions.
Pacific Blue Cross, a health, dental and travel benefits provider, received just shy of $2 million, while Unitech Construction Management received just over $1 million.
The school district paid a further $5.8 million to suppliers in exchanges totalling $25,000 or less.
