Solana Beach Schools superintendent receives salary increase

Aug. 17, 2021 7:22 AM PT

Solana Beach School District Superintendent Jodee Brentlinger has received a 4.8% raise.

Brentlinger has served as the district’s superintendent since June 2018. Last year the board extended her contract to 2024, recognizing her leadership through district building projects, new education initiatives and keeping kids in school in a global pandemic.

“The board commends Superintendent Brentlinger for her above and beyond leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic challenge,” said SBSD board President Vicki King in a statement. “As we move into another school year, she continues with her positive student focused style of leadership, with an ability to manage details as well as stay focused on the big picture.”

The compensation increase was given following a positive performance evaluation—she had also met all of her contract terms during the 2019-20 school year but her salary was not increased at that time due to economic uncertainty because of the pandemic.

At the board’s Aug. 12 board meeting, they voted to increase her annual salary from $219,300 to $224,700 retroactive to July 1, 2020, and to $230,300 effective July 1, 2021.

Per the terms of her contract, the superintendent’s salary may be increased annually by an amount comparable to those granted to certificated bargaining unit employees—teachers received a 2% salary increase in June.

According to King, Brentlinger received a satisfactory evaluation based on outcomes such as a return to classrooms for all students who wanted to be onsite, a “wildly successful” online program and increased communication with staff and parents during a time of “chaos, change and challenge”.

In the midst of a pandemic, Brentlinger also completed work on the district’s new mission and vision statement and logo and also brought forward a new policy on diversity, equity and inclusion.

“All of these outcomes set us up to have an exciting and fresh start to this school year,” King said.